Alumni Update: Emmanuel Sanchez
October 15, 2024
by Megan Riddle, WWU Biology
Emmanuel Sanchez graduated from Western in 2022 with a B.S. in Biology, Molecular and Cell emphasis. After graduating, Sanchez was hired as a Research Associate in the Institute for Cell Science at the Allen Institute in Seattle, where he continues to work today. The Allen Institute is a non-profit bioscience research institute which conducts large-scale basic science research studying the brain, cells and immune system with the mission to “understand the principles that govern life, and to advance health”. We recently caught up with Sanchez to find out how he made his way through the Biology major and how he is involved in the scientific community today.
Sanchez grew up in the small town of Prosser, Washington. During high school, he really enjoyed math and science. His high school Biology teacher, who happened to be a WWU alumnus, nudged him to consider attending Western. Once on campus, he knew this was the place for him. For some time, Sanchez took a variety of classes at Western to help him narrow down options for which major to pursue. He was very interested in Chemistry and Kinesiology, but a class taught by biology professor Dr. Suzanne Lee helped him realize it was the biological side of the sciences that really intrigued him. Studying biology presented him with challenges that he loved digging into.
Upon return to campus following the COVID-19 closure, Sanchez decided to immerse himself in the campus experience to make more connections. He found himself spending a lot of time at the Multicultural Center in the VU. This space cultivated a community and a place for him to establish relationships with others of similar backgrounds. Additionally, he began working in Assistant Professor Dr. Nick Galati’s research lab, which gave him the hands-on experience he was looking for. He started with the learning basics, then moved on to microscopy imaging. Sanchez remembers, “I was having the time of my life taking images! One of my best memories from campus was the hype I had walking from the Biology building to go learn the joy of confocal microscopy.”
He continued to expand his skills as he put more time into the research lab. During summer 2022, Dr. Galati invited Sanchez to serve as a student mentor with SCOPE First, a three-year intensive STEM experience for a small group of mostly Latinx, first-generation Mt. Vernon High School students to help prepare them for college. This experience enabled Sanchez to further his own microscopy skills and connect with high schoolers who also identified as Latino and first-generation students. “My experience mentoring the high school students with Dr. Galati was amazing. I would commute to their high school where I would work with the students to put together parts of a microscope. At the end of the summer the students completed putting the microscope together and looked at some cells. We also talked about college, and I would share my experience coming from a similar background,” stated Sanchez.
After graduation, Sanchez landed at the Allen Institute. As a Research Associate for the cell science team, he enjoys spending his time in the lab continuing to conduct research. Being a part of a smaller group at the Allen Institute, he appreciates that they work together as a team. In winter 2024, Sanchez co-authored ‘Automated human induced puripotent stem cell culture and sample preparation for 3D live-cell microscopy’ with his team at the Allen. Sanchez stated, “In short, this was a methods paper about how the automation process is run and verified on the Hamilton robot, which does the full cell culturing and plating that fills the needs for our pipeline imaging.” Since its publication, his team has been working on a new paper and research about the difference in the epithelial to mesenchymal transition timing of different cell colonies, the different substates they are grown on and if they are in a 3d shape called a lumenoid, where the colony lifts around the edges and forms a hollow sphere.
I was having the time of my life taking images! One of my best memories from campus was the hype I had walking from the Biology building to go learn the joy of confocal microscopy.
Emmanuel Sanchez
WWU Biology Alumni, Class of 2022
Though his eyes beam with excitement when talking about the research he conducts, Sanchez says that there are challenges he faces. Keeping up with reading and knowledge of new publications about recent research can be a daunting task. Working at a prestigious research facility, Sanchez is surrounded by many leading scientists in the field, which is inspiring but can lead to feelings of imposter syndrome. To help alleviate these feelings, he has become involved in EASL (Estamos Aqui, Somos Latines), which is a group at the Allen where people from similar backgrounds come together to create community, invite speakers, and put on events for Hispanic heritage month. Additionally, he enjoys being a part of an outreach career panel group where scientists at the Allen get to talk to visiting high school and college students about the different journeys they have taken to get to where they are today.
Emmanuel’s advice for budding scientists:
“Get in a research lab! Show interest today, even if you have not yet been accepted to be a biology major. It’s a great opportunity to grow your skillset and help gain experience. It can help point you in a direction to take in the future. Also, talk to your advisor! They have the knowledge and experience to help steer you in directions you may not have thought of otherwise.”