Meet Dr. Sandra C. Ordonez-Rubiano

I am a patient-driven scientist passionate about cancer research and mentorship. My goal as a researcher is to identify new targets and strategies for treating cancer. I developed this patient-centered focus during my clinical rotations at the National Cancer Institute in Colombia, where witnessing limited treatment options motivated me to pursue cancer research.

Mentorship has been central to my academic career. I have mentored over 15 undergraduate and graduate students, guiding them to develop hands-on technical skills and critical thinking. As a principal investigator at Georgia Southern University, I aim to apply my scientific expertise toward advancing cancer research while supporting future scientists on their path to discovery.

Outside of the lab, I enjoy creative pursuits ranging from acrylic painting and photography to playing the ukulele. I firmly believe a healthy work-life balance is essential for every scientist!

Professional experience

I earned my Bachelor of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences/Pharmacy from the Universidad Nacional de Colombia in Bogotá in 2017. In 2018, I moved to the United States to pursue a PhD in Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology at Purdue University under the mentorship of Dr. Emily Dykhuizen. During my doctoral studies, I developed chemical tools to investigate the role of chromatin regulators in cancer. In 2024, I joined Dr. Laura Dassama’s laboratory at Stanford University to study protein modulation of transcriptional regulators in cancer models. In 2026, I joined Georgia Southern University as an Assistant Professor of Biochemistry.