Ditte will be a Star M.D., Ph.D. Student

Palo Alto, CA — In her two years in the Mahajan Lab, Ditte transitioned from being an Aarhus University medical student volunteer researcher to joining the Aarhus University's M.D., Ph.D. program. She contributes her growth as a scientist to the mentorship she received in the Mahajan lab. Experiencing a workflow that focused on both basic science and clinical research, along with developing management, scientific writing, bioinformatics and laboratory skills, will be invaluable in her future career. 

Ditte at lab bench

Vinit Mahajan M.D., Ph.D., Stanford professor and vice chair of ophthalmology research, said, “Ditte’s interest in genetic diseases of the retina and her work on genetic components of age-related macular degeneration made her a perfect fit for the lab. Right away I knew she would be instrumental in moving our lab projects forward. Her scientific creativity enriched lab discussions and strengthened our collaborative environment.”

Ditte joined a small research project that grew in significance over her two years in lab.

  She said, “I'm quite proud of how the iPSC-RPE project grew from a small contribution to a bigger paper to its own individual project spanning from in vitro models to patient samples. I was inspired by how Dr. Mahajan integrates lab projects with clinical samples and drives a project from beginning to end.” 

She continued, “The daily mentoring from senior scientists Soo Hyeon Lee, Young Joo Sun and Julian Wolf helped drive projects forward. Having daily discussions with three great mentors who are incredibly skilled in different fields really propelled my learning.” 

Turning junior researchers into independent scientists is one of the missions of the Mahajan Lab. Soo Hyeon Lee Ph.D., lab group leader, and senior scientist Young Joo Sun Ph.D. are instrumental in mapping out a successful path for new lab members. Their generosity and support enabled Ditte to make the most of her lab experience.

Ditta goodbye dinnerSoo Hyeon said, “Ditte is a multi-disciplinary scientist who has great efficiency and professionalism in her work. I worked with her on developing an in vitro model recapitulating ocular disease. Throughout the numerous challenges we faced, she always kept a positive attitude and strong motivation. That is the reason why our time working together was highly enjoyable.”

Young Joo said, “Ditte was excellent at finding simple, intuitive solutions to very complex and difficult problems. Her hard work, combined with a great work ethic, has allowed us to make many exciting scientific discoveries that can benefit the research community and patients. I will truly miss working with her.”

Ditte’s hard work in lab translated into an award for best poster at the Stanford Science Research Park Symposium and two publications. She was also an invited speaker at the 2024 Annual ARVO meeting in Seattle.

Ditte said, “The skills and mindset I learned in the Mahajan Lab will help me as I establish a career as a clinician-scientist.”

Dr. Mahajan said, “Ditte is an excellent researcher. We are excited that she is going to collaborate with our lab and continue to be an important contributor to our research. ” 

20/20 Blog
May 31 2024