Staff Spotlight: Jaycee Jumarang, MD

In June 2020—just a few months into the pandemic—Jaycee got a call from Pia Pannaraj, MD, MPH, offering him the position of Research Specialist with her team in the Pediatric Immunization Advancement Laboratory at CHLA.

“I was so excited,” he remembers. “I was very happy to have the opportunity to learn about COVID and its pathogenesis, during a time when the COVID-19 vaccines were in development.”

Jaycee manages the processing area of the Pannaraj Lab—handling PCR testing of study participants for COVID-19, flu and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). In addition, he is leading CHLA’s participation in national surveillance studies to better understand the prevalence and prevention of those pathogens in children.

“What I love about my job is that we are contributing knowledge to the community,” he explains. “In the past two years, we’ve published 24 papers regarding COVID-19 that will benefit children and families. I am very proud to be part of this team and CHLA!”

Another aspect he enjoys? The people. “We are a work group, but we are also a family,” Jaycee shares. “Working here is like a dream.”

Originally from the province of Batangas in the Philippines, he completed his medical degree there before joining his family in the U.S. His goal is to become a pediatrician, and he is currently studying for the U.S. Medical Licensing Examination.

He and his wife like to spend their free time visiting museums, watching movies, hiking and going to the beach. “It is nice to have all these activities in Los Angeles,” Jaycee adds. “I enjoy the city life.”