What a night to remember! Inspired by the NFL Draft, the Young investigator Draft gave all the fanfare typically given to athletes to the next generation of rare disease researchers - and Jaye was selected as 1 of the talented 10! (It was also special to be at the Linc right before the Eagles took Super Bowl LIX!)

Though it may not seem like it as the third leading cause of cancer related deaths, pancreatic cancer affects less than 15 people per 100,000 each year in the US, classifying it as a rare disease. Even still, Jaye has had a number of friends and colleagues impacted by pancreatic cancer - and the same is true for the Pancreatic Cancer Cure Foundation, a patient advocacy organization dedicated to aiding the fight against pancreatic cancer, who nominated her for the award. 

The biggest thank you to Uplifting Athletes and the Pancreatic Cancer Cure Foundation for recognizing Jaye's work and the start of the Gardiner Lab!

What a dream! Jaye had the chance to visit Tufts and see the future lab space along with the gorgeous autumn leaves. With a few more benches and tables added to the main space, and renovations to the shared cell culture room, it's incredible to think about the wonderful science that will be done here!

During this visit, Jaye also had the opportunity to present at the Converging on Cancer @ Tufts symposium and share the lab's research with the broader Tufts cancer community. It was a great opportunity to get to know colleagues, discuss science, and potential collaborations when we're fully operational! Thank you to Madeleine Oudin and Karl Munger for the invite!

It's official! Jaye signed on the dotted line and the Gardiner Lab will be coming to Tufts University, opening September 2025! Beatrice the bunny isn't thrilled that the mascot isn't a fellow rabbit but is excited for this new chapter regardless. Go Jumbos!