Suffolk Reporter

Hector Romero Garcia, a biochemistry major at Stony Brook University, has been named the URECA researcher of the month for September. Garcia joined Christopher Clarke’s Lipid Cancer Laboratory over the summer as part of the SUNY SOAR program. The Clarke research lab at the Stony Brook Cancer Center focuses on alterations in sphingolipid metabolism related to cancer development and response to therapies.

During his time in the lab, Garcia engaged in cell culture assays and analysis. He presented a poster titled “Testing Efficacy of Novel DES1 Inhibitors on Anchorage-Independent Survival of Breast Cancer Cells” at the Summer Research Symposium. Following his summer research, he was invited to continue working in Clarke's lab as a new transfer student for Fall 2024.

The SOAR program, now in its second year, is funded by a SUNY Chancellor’s Summer Research Excellence Fund award to Stony Brook University. It aims to provide research opportunities for undergraduates with financial need or those who are first-generation college students. This summer, SOAR included 33 undergraduates—26 from SBU and seven from other SUNY institutions. The 2024 Summer Symposium featured 105 research posters from various undergraduate research programs across campus.

Reflecting on his experience, Garcia stated, “When you’re in a classroom, you just focus on getting the right answer or getting a hundred on a test. But once you’re in the lab, that’s when you get to use all the critical thinking skills that you have learned for the past 10 years of your life and you actually get to apply your knowledge.”

Garcia plans to pursue a career in medicine with an interest in pediatric oncology. He graduated from Bay Shore High School and attended Suffolk Community College before transferring to Stony Brook University. Additionally, he volunteers at Bay Shore-Brightwaters Rescue Ambulance.

For more insights into Garcia's journey and achievements, read the full interview with URECA Director Karen Kernan.