Research Trainee Spotlight: Shawn Barman

PhD student Shawn Barman credits his experience growing up in a blend of two cultures as the inspiration for his focus on both medicine and research. “Having been born and raised in America in an Indian family, I always aimed to combine the two cultures and lifestyles to become my own person,” Shawn explains. “While there was an unspoken expectation that I become a physician, I also gravitated toward learning and using new knowledge to create something novel.”

Shawn’s curiosity and his family led him to focus on researching improved treatments for diseases. “My mom was diagnosed with breast cancer, and I saw her undergo treatments and experience the adverse effects that came along with them,” he explains. “This drove me to pursue therapeutics research as I wanted to help develop more efficacious treatments so patients would not have to suffer more to overcome an already taxing disease.”

Growing up primarily in Valencia, California, Shawn attended the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), majoring in microbiology, immunology, and molecular genetics, and minoring in accounting. After graduating, he interned at Sandia National Laboratories, attempting to use bacteriophages to find cures for antibiotic-resistant bacteria. He then worked at the Scripps Research Institute, supporting development of an HIV vaccine, a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine, and antibody therapies.

Shawn now works as a PhD student in the Moghimi Laboratory, led by Babak Moghimi, MD, in CHLA’s Cancer and Blood Disease Institute. “My project builds upon gated CAR-T cell technology developed by the lab to create a more potent version of gated CAR-T cells to combat acute myeloid leukemia while maintaining the cells’ beneficial safety profile,” he says. Long-term, Shawn wants to help make medicine more accessible to all, especially underserved populations.

Outside of work, Shawn likes to read, hike, and play video games with friends.