Alumni Profiles

Thanh Blade

My name is Thanh Blade. I have been working in the Newman Lab at the Buck Institute since May 2019 after graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry at Sonoma State University. I am currently assisting Dr. Newman and other scientists at the Institute to conduct research on the effects of the Ketogenic diet—high fat, moderate protein and no carbohydrate—and its ability to improve healthspan and lifespan using mice models. I am blessed to be exposed to various trainings, such as western blotting and tissue culture, to learn how to properly operate high speed ultracentrifuge, which can reach the speed of 300,000xg, or to use Bio-Rad Chemidoc to obtain a high quality gel image for publication. These skills and trainings at the Buck Institute are preparing me for a higher education, such as a Doctorate in Philosophy, and perhaps a career in research.

Heidi Guadalupe Parra

My name is Heidi Guadalupe Parra and I graduated from Sonoma State in May of 2019 with a Bachelors of Arts in Psychology. I now work for an organization called Mindful Life Project and I serve as a Mindfulness Instructor in Pinole and East Oakland. I teach TK-8th graders not only about mindfulness, but other transformative skills to gain self-awareness and confidence. I also have my own classroom where I allow students to deepen their understanding of mindfulness and express themselves through theater, yoga, and art. The beauty of this position is seeing my students grow as leaders and watching them improve their emotional and physical health. This summer, I also attended a conference in South Korea with the non-profit group Women Rights and Peace of the Bay Area. I was able to present on societal issues, learn more about the 'Comfort Women,' and meet students from Korea, the Philippines, and Taiwan. We worked together to brainstorm different ways to raise awareness about women's rights in our own country. This was a very impactful event and eye-opening as I learned more about the history of women's rights in Asia.