AVIGAIL Salazar-Martinez

Aspiring physician-scientist with hands-on experience in cancer biology research, driven by a curiosity for biomedical discovery and its impact on patient care. I hope to pursue an MD and integrate translational research into my future clinical career. I bring teamwork, communication, and leadership skills from diverse work and service experiences, and I am committed to contributing to a collaborative, supportive research environment while continuing to grow as both a scientist and a member of the scientific community.

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center - Termini Lab

Research Intern 

06/2025 - 09/2025

• Role of POFUT1 in Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML)
• Investigated how POFUT1-mediated glycosylation affects leukemia cell growth and signaling.
• Cultured multiple AML cell lines (Kasumi-1, MOLM-13, THP-1, OCI-AML3).
• Performed 96-well and 6-well proliferation assays to assess effects of POFUT1 knockdown and overexpression.
• Assisted with Notch pathway inhibition experiments (DAPT treatments) to evaluate signaling dependence.
• Collected and analyzed growth data to identify cell-line–specific responses to altered glycosylation.,
• Contributed to understanding how post-translational modifications may influence leukemia progression.

Pacific Lutheran University – Organic Chemistry Special Projects Lab

Undergraduate Researcher

02/2023 - 05/2023

• Designed and carried out multi-step organic synthesis of a zwitterionic naphthalene diimide (NDI) monomer.
• Applied Diels–Alder chemistry and purification techniques to generate target compounds.
• Characterized products using ¹H NMR spectroscopy and interpreted spectra to confirm molecular structure.
• Explored how molecular design may improve polymer electrolyte performance in lithium-ion batteries.
• Presented findings in a departmental research poster session.