CSUB student selected for California Pre-Doctoral Program

For biology major Kenya Espinoza, her dream of attending graduate school and earning a dual M.D.-Ph.D. degree is now one step closer to reality.

Espinoza has been selected as a 2025-26 Sally Casanova Scholar as part of the California Pre-Doctoral Program, which helps prepare students for success in a doctoral career. Fellow student Dayana Aguilar-Hernandez received an honorable mention from the program.

Espinoza is receiving a $5,000 scholarship to help pay for her graduate school application fees and will also receive support for her research through opportunities to work with faculty from doctoral-granting institutions.

“Being a first-generation student, I am very grateful programs like this exist,” she said. “It helps people like me overcome the obstacles that we face. I won’t have to worry about where the money is going to come from when I apply to these programs. Being able to have that kind of support from people who want to see us succeed is very important.”

Espinoza is set to graduate from CSUB next spring with her bachelor’s degree in biology with a concentration in biotechnology. She is planning to apply for M.D.-Ph.D. programs as she pursues her goal of becoming a doctor specialized in the areas of gynecology and oncology.

Espinoza was first exposed to research over two years ago through her participation in CSUB’s Summer Undergraduate Research Experience program, after which she joined an organic chemistry lab led by Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry Dr. Danielle Solano. The lab focuses on synthesizing potential inhibitors for lysyl oxidase, an enzyme associated with breast cancer.

“I really wanted to get involved in some kind of research with biomedicine, because that’s what I’m most interested in,” Espinoza said. “The experience has been great. (Dr. Solano) is able to support all of her students and lets us kind of explore and come to her with ideas.”

Espinoza has also been involved on campus as a Student Research Scholar and through CSUB’s Undergraduate Research Training Initiative for Student Enhancement (U-RISE) program, which provided training in the biomedical sciences through research, coursework, service-learning opportunities and faculty mentoring to help prepare students for pursuing a doctoral degree in the field.

It wasn’t until she joined the U-RISE program that Espinoza first thought about getting an M.D.-Ph.D. degree. She had originally planned to just get an M.D., but her faculty mentors in the program suggested that she should consider a dual degree.

“I didn’t know that dual degrees existed, so I was really thankful for being led to another path,” she said. “It opened my eyes to the M.D.-Ph.D. program. I’m able to see how medicine is not only done in a clinical setting but also how it’s done in a laboratory, how doctors and scientists work together to provide the best treatment or therapies for patients.”

Espinoza was able to get more hands-on experience through an internship last summer at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, where she was able to work in a lab focused on research about ovarian cancer. She was also able to shadow an oncologist during her time there.

“I was able to see both the clinical side and the laboratory side of a M.D.-Ph.D., which I really came to enjoy,” she said.

Espinoza has also participated in research internships at the University of California, San Diego, first in the summer of 2023 and again this summer. On the medical side, she has also had the opportunity to interact directly with patients as a research associate in Kern Medical’s Emergency Medicine Research Associate Program.

All of these experiences led Espinoza to decide that she not only wants to be a doctor but also be able to do biomedical research.

“I want to be a physician scientist, where I’m able to research and investigate current diseases but also, at the same time, treat patients,” she said.

'A stepping stone'

Like Espinoza, Aguilar-Hernandez is a biology major at CSUB and is also planning to pursue an M.D.-Ph.D. degree. She is expected to graduate from the university this fall with her bachelor’s and minors in both chemistry and psychology.

For the past couple of years, Aguilar-Hernandez has been participating in a research lab led by Associate Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry Dr. Jesse Bergkamp.

The lab focuses on renewable energy, specifically on how redox reactions — which involves the transfer of energy during the process in which a molecule loses and gains electrons — can be used to charge batteries.

“The experience has been great. I’ve learned a lot,” Aguilar-Hernandez said. “When I first started at CSUB, organic chemistry wasn’t my strongest subject, but now with doing the research, it’s definitely helped turn that into a strength.”

She was able to present her research last year as part of CSUB’s Student Research Competition, going on to earn first place in the Physical and Mathematical Sciences category and compete at the state level.

This summer, thanks to a grant she received from the National Institute of Health, Aguilar-Hernandez has been conducting research at the University of Buffalo in New York that focuses on opioid addiction treatment.

“I’m taking that organic chemistry experience to synthesize a molecule that people will be able to take as a drug without having the significant side effects that we see right now with the medications we have for treating opioid addiction,” she said.

While Aguilar-Hernandez is not receiving a scholarship through the California Pre-Doctoral Program, she said she appreciated being recognized.

“It feels good to be recognized,” she said. “I think this kind of program is a great idea. It’s a great opportunity for people to get involved and get that research help.”

Espinoza acknowledged that there was a lot of competition for the program and said she was surprised to learn she was chosen.

“Being able to be part of a cohort like this is something that was mind-blowing to me, and something I’m totally grateful for,” she said. “Receiving this award is something I will always cherish. It’s a stepping stone to continuing my academic journey.”

Interim Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Elizabeth Adams commended both Espinoza and Aguilar-Hernandez for being recognized by the program.

“Kenya Espinoza and Dayana Aguilar-Hernandez are truly the best of CSUB,” she said. “I know that they’ll do amazing things with the support of their CSUB faculty mentors. I can’t wait to see what they’ll do in the future.”

Students who are juniors, seniors or in masters’ programs are eligible for the California Pre-Doctoral Program. The 2026-27 scholarship application cycle will open in December. Visit the CSU website for more information about the program.