Associate Professor
Dr. Sylvia Vetrone is an accomplished educator and researcher in the areas of immunology and cancer biology. As an Associate Professor of Biomedical Sciences at KPSOM, she serves as a small group co-facilitator for Integrated Science courses and contributes to the curriculum. Dr. Vetrone has served in higher education since 2008, previously serving as the Fletcher Jones Chair in molecular biology, biology professor, and fellowships director at Whittier College. Her lifelong passion and commitment to increasing access to science education and STEM careers, specifically for first generation, underrepresented, and under-included students has earned her several awards for excellence in teaching and mentoring. Her research has focused on investigating the potential health and anti-proliferative properties of cultural and traditionally relevant plant-derived extracts, the validation of nanoparticle DNA-based biosensors for the detection of microbial pathogens, and the assessment of the potential environmental and health effects of nanoparticles.