2026 Lucas T. Ahn Family Scholarship Winner

 

Anna's Essay

When I was 13 years old, I spent nearly every summer weekend visiting the newest member of our family, my cousin Maria. She was always smiling, rarely cried, and was described as such a “happy baby.” However, as she grew older, she began to miss developmental milestones, and my aunt and uncle became concerned. It took multiple doctors’ visits before they were able to obtain a diagnosis, and we learned her happy demeanor was a defining characteristic of her disorder. She was diagnosed with Angelman syndrome, and having never heard of the disorder before, I became very interested in understanding what UBE3A was, how it functioned in the body, and what happens when its function goes awry. I didn’t know it at the time, but these were the first steps in my path to scientific research. During my sophomore year in college, I joined my first research lab and was quickly drawn to the research process. I felt an exceptional drive to fill gaps in knowledge and push the field forward. However, my mind often wandered to UBE3A, and whether I could somehow integrate it into my work — an exceedingly difficult task, considering I was studying salamander courtship at the time. My desire to understand UBE3A led me to apply for an internship with the Dup15q Alliance in 2022. During this internship, I attended weekly meetings where I listened to caregivers discuss what needed actionable change: increasing physician familiarity with the disorder, making routine care accessible, and the creation of reliable information guides. This led me to design a decision tree outlining the signs and symptoms of infantile spasms, a common comorbidity with Dup15q syndrome. As part of this internship, I also transcribed and summarized clinical research network meetings. These meetings consisted of physicians and researchers discussing the current state of Dup15q research — a topic I felt particularly intrigued by. I learned developing a therapeutic for Dup15q syndrome was possible, and I wanted to be part of a laboratory working towards that goal. I joined Dr. Jason Yi’s lab at Washington University in St. Louis in 2023, where I worked as a research technician before transitioning into the Neuroscience PhD program in 2025. My thesis project tests a targeted protein degradation molecule termed a “monoTAC” as a potential treatment strategy for Dup15q syndrome. The monoTAC binds two UBE3A proteins and brings them into close proximity to one another. Then, each UBE3A ubiquitinates the other due to the monoTAC-induced proximity. This ubiquitination signals the proteosome to degrade both UBE3A proteins, resulting in an overall decrease in UBE3A levels. Because Dup15q syndrome has elevated UBE3A, the monoTAC has the potential to be used as a therapeutic approach to target and reduce this excess UBE3A. Maria is now 13 years old and she, along with the people I met through the Dup15q Alliance, continue to bring personal meaning and connection to my work. These personal connections have played an integral role in my path to rare disease research, and with support of the Lucas T. Ahn Family Scholarship, I will continue my pursuit to find an effective treatment strategy for Dup15q syndrome. This scholarship will support expenses during my PhD as well as my transition into becoming an independent researcher. I look forward to my career, where I envision leading a laboratory focused on UBE3A and working closely with advocacy groups such as the Dup15q Alliance to bring valuable direction and guidance to my future research.

Department of Neuroscience Jason J. Yi, PhD Assistant Professor March 16, 2026

 Dear Members of the Selection Committee,

 I am writing to express my enthusiastic support Anna Gunelson’s application for the Lucas T. Ahn Family Scholarship. I cannot think of a more deserving recipient given Anna’s tremendous potential as a scientist and her demonstrated commitment to Dup15q syndrome research. I am confident she will distinguish herself as a Ph.D. student. I am an Assistant Professor in the Department of Neuroscience at Washington University School of Medicine, where my laboratory studies the ubiquitin ligase UBE3A, a protein long implicated in the pathology of Dup15q syndrome. More specifically, our research focuses on understanding the mechanisms that regulate UBE3A activity. We recently identified a novel class of gain-of-function mutations in UBE3A that causes an autistic disorder resembling Dup15q syndrome. These insights provide new avenues to elucidate neuronal pathways regulated by UBE3A and to an opportunity to develop novel therapeutic approaches. Anna completed her undergraduate education at Gonzaga University in Spokane, WA where she majored in Biology and graduated with a stellar 3.99/4.0 grade-point average. I first met Anna in the summer of 2023 when she reached out to express her interest in joining my lab. Her enthusiasm for UBE3A research was deeply personal, rooted in her experience with a cousin affected by Angelman syndrome, and further demonstrated by her internship with the Dup15q Alliance. Although I was not planning to recruit new staff, Anna’s passion and initiative convinced me to bring her on as a Research Technician in September of that year. Anna quickly became an integral member of the laboratory. She demonstrated remarkable adaptability and technical skill, contributing to patient-derived mutation analyses, animal behavior studies, cell-based biochemistry, and molecular cloning. She led the characterization of a novel mouse model of UBE3A gain-of-function with impressive rigor and efficiency. Her productivity is exceptional—she has earned first authorship on three papers (one published, two in preparation), an extraordinary achievement for a postbaccalaureate researcher. I was delighted when Anna matriculated into the Neurosciences Ph.D. program at Washington University in the Fall of 2025, and even more pleased when she chose to continue her graduate work in my lab. Her doctoral research will focus on developing innovative approaches to regulate UBE3A protein levels using engineered synthetic proteins. These molecules facilitate UBE3A self-degradation via in trans ubiquitination, representing a novel therapeutic strategy. Anna has already identified promising candidates that induce UBE3A degradation in vitro and will extend this work to human neuronal models and mouse behavioral studies. This project has the potential to fundamentally change how we, as a field, develop inhibitors for UBE3A, and Anna is exceptionally well-suited to lead this work. On a personal level, Anna is thoughtful, composed, and highly disciplined. She communicates clearly, plans meticulously, and approaches challenges with a maturity well beyond her years. She exudes an optimism and enthusiasm for science that will position her for continued success in graduate school and beyond. In summary, Anna is one of the most talented and productive young scientists I have encountered at this stage of training. I am confident she will become a leading Ph.D. student and make foundational contributions to Dup15q research. I strongly recommend her for this scholarship without reservation.

 Please feel free to contact me if additional information would be helpful. 

 Sincerely, Jason Yi, Ph.D. Assistant Professor Department of Neuroscience Washington University School of Medicine 

The scholarship announcement was made on Lucas 15th birthday, May 19, 2026!