Vincent Lam

Professional Background

I was born and raised in the Chicago metropolitan area and completed my undergraduate education at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. I received a Bachelor of Science in Bioengineering with an emphasis on Cell & Tissue Engineering and a minor in Chemistry. At UIUC, I worked as an undergraduate research assistant in two research labs. With the Dr. Jennifer Amos Research Group, I developed interactive tools for visualizing student assessment data. I also studied the health literacy of historically underserved populations in Chicago regarding colorectal and cervical cancer screening. With the Dr. Brendan Harley Research Group, I investigated the usage of microgel encapsulation for hematopoietic and mesenchymal stem cells as an in vitro culture platform. Working in these very different research labs made me appreciate the beauty of data science and regenerative medicine. I also spent a summer at the Mayo Clinic as a Summer Undergraduate Research Fellow, studying the role of heteroplasmy in mitochondrial diabetes.

At KUMC, I hope to continue studying stem cell biology in the context of cancer development and treatment. I look forward to meeting other students of the MD-PhD program as I embark on this journey to become a physician-scientist.

Outside of my studies and research, I enjoy biking, fishing, and playing basketball and soccer. I've played the piano since I was five years old, and I like to embrace my artistic side through digital modeling and sculpting. I also love exploring new eateries so I can add them to my food photo collection.