B.S. in Chemistry from Seattle Pacific University
I was raised in Flagstaff Arizona and attended Seattle Pacific University for my undergraduate training. My first research experience was in computational chemistry in the lab of Dr. Daniel Schofield where I focused on simulating infrared spectra for solvated systems. Becoming a doctor has been a long-term dream of mine, but my experiences in undergraduate research gave me a passion and love for scientific inquiry. I briefly considered pursuing a Ph.D. in computational chemistry, but my ongoing volunteer work at the Swedish Medical Center in Seattle Washington continued to remind me of my love for patient care. I eventually realized that I thrived with the combination of science and clinical work and chose to apply to the dual-degree program. After matriculating into the University of Arizona College of Medicine, Phoenix, I started working with Dr. Karen Hastings in collaboration with my co-mentors at Arizona State University, Dr. Kenneth Buetow and Dr. Melissa Wilson. My work focuses on computational approaches to exploring the immune response to cancer. I am particularly interested in how tumors escape the immune system and how we can use this knowledge to improve the development of therapeutic options.
Outside of school, I can typically be found with my husband and kids hiking, camping, gardening, or exploring.
- 2024 Bursary for attendance at the Cancer Evolution: From Genome to Ecology conference
- 2024 CTS Travel award, University of Arizona
- 2023 Ruth L. Kirschstein NRSA for Individual Predoctoral MD/PhD Degree Fellows (F30)
- 2023 CRTEC Travel Award, UA Cancer Center
- 2022 Poster award, University of Arizona Cancer Center: Cancer Research - Present & Future
- 2022 University of Arizona Cancer Center Training Oncology Physician Scientists Award
- 2021 Thermo Fisher Trainee Achievement Award, American Association of Immunologists
- 2021 Melanoma Research Foundation Medical Student Award
- 2018 President's citation for one graduating senior who exemplifies the mission and vision of Seattle Pacific University and is among those with the highest academic standing in her class
- 2018 Award for outstanding achievement in physical chemistry
- 2017 Burton Dietzman scholarship for the top student majoring in chemistry
- 2016 Paul Lepse award for outstanding achievement in organic chemistry
Selected publications
- Borden ES, Buetow KH, LaFleur BJ, Wilson MA, Hastings KT. NeoScore integrates characteristics of the neoantigen:MHC class I interaction and expression to accurately prioritize immunogenic neoantigens. Journal of Immunology. 2022:208 (7): 1813-1827. Selected as a Journal of Immunology top read in 2022
- Borden ES, Buetow KH, Wilson MA, Hastings KT. Cancer Neoantigens: Challenges and Future Directions for Prediction, Prioritization, and Validation. Frontiers in Oncology. 2022:12:836821.
- Adams AC, Borden ES, Macy AM, Thomson N, Cui H, Gimbel M, Wilson MA, Buetow KH, Roe DJ, DiCaudo DJ, Homsi J, Hastings KT. High GILT expression is associated with improved survival in metastatic melanoma patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibition. Cancers. 2022: 14 (9): 2200.
- Borden ES, Adams AC, Kenneth HB, Wilson MA, Bauman JE, Curiel-Lewandrowski C, Chow, H-HS., LaFleur BJ, Hastings, KT. Shared gene expression and immune pathway changes associated with progression from nevi to melanoma. Cancers. 2021: 14 (1): 3.
- Borden ES, Kang P, Natri HM, Phung TN, Wilson MA, Buetow KH, Hastings KT. Neoantigen fitness model predicts lower immune recognition of cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas than actinic keratoses. Frontiers in Immunology. 2019: 10: 2799.
- Heindel JP, Knodel ES*, Schofield DP. Origin of Many-Body Vibrational Frequency Shifts in Water Clusters. Journal of Physical Chemistry A. 2018 Aug. 23: 122(33): 6724-6735. *Co-first author, unmarried name, authorship order determined alphabetically.
Featured stories:
Conference presentations:
- Borden ES, Ma T, Li X, Hughes A, LaFleur BJ, Mangold AR, Buetow KH, Wilson MA, Hastings KT. Immune selective pressure drives loss of clonal neoantigens in primary human tumors. Oral presentation. Cancer Evolution: From Genome to Ecology. 2024 Hinxton, UK.
- Borden ES, Adams AC, Macy AM, Juan TY, Roe DJ, Buetow KH, Wilson MA, Hastings KT. Majority of mutations in cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma are unique to individual tumors. Poster presentation. SITC 38th Annual Meeting 2023. San Diego, California.
- Borden ES, Adams AC, Buetow KH, Wilson MA, Hastings KT. Immunoediting in cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma. Oral presentation. Frontiers in Immunobiology and Immunopathogenesis Symposium 2023. Tucson, Arizona.
- Borden ES, Ghafoor S, Buetow KH, LaFleur BJ, Wilson MA, Hastings KT. NeoScore integrates characteristics of the neoantigen:MHC class I interaction and expression to accurately prioritize immunogenic neoantigens. Oral presentation. MathOnc23 Conference 2023. Phoenix, Arizona.
- Borden ES, Ghafoor S, Buetow KH, LaFleur BJ, Wilson MA, Hastings KT. NeoScore integrates characteristics of the neoantigen:MHC class I interaction and expression to accurately prioritize immunogenic neoantigens. Poster presentation. Cancer Research: Present & Future. 2022 University of Arizona Cancer Center, Tucson, AZ.
- Borden ES, Adams AC, Buetow KH, Wilson MA, Bauman JE, Curiel-Lewandrowski C, Chow HHS, LaFleur BJ, Hastings KT. (2022) Shared gene expression and immune pathway changes associated with progression from nevi to melanoma. Poster Presentation. Translational Advances in Cancer Prevention Agent Development, Division of Cancer Prevention, NCI, Virtual.
- Borden ES, Phung TN, Buetow KH, LaFleur BJ, Wilson MA, Hastings KT. Penalized regression analysis identifies features of the peptide:MHC class I interaction and mRNA expression as key to prioritizing neoantigen immunogenicity. May 2021. Oral and poster presentations, American Association of Immunologists Annual Meeting, Virtual.
- Borden ES, Buetow KH, LaFleur BJ, Wilson MA, Hastings KT. NeoScore integrates characteristics of the neoantigen:MHC class I interaction and expression to accurately prioritize immunogenic neoantigens. Poster presentation. University of Arizona Cancer Center Trainee Conference: Cancer Research - Present & Future. 2021 August; Virtual.
- Borden ES, Kang P, Natri HM, Phung TN, Wilson MA, Buetow KH, Hastings KT. Neoantigen fitness model predicts lower immune recognition of cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas than actinic keratoses. Poster presentation. Arizona Conference on Developing Therapeutics for Cancer and Immunology. 2019; PHOENIX, AZ, United States.