The Youth Biotechnology Workshop is a student-led event hosted on behalf of Young Women In Bio, an organization that strives to empower and inspire young women by providing exposure to STEM-related concepts. This workshop is geared towards middle and high school students in the San Francisco Bay Area and South San Francisco community. It will include a hands-on biotech experiment led by students and an opportunity for participants to interact with professionals in the field through a career panel. This event aims to educate students on the significance and impact of biotechnology in and around South San Francisco.

Note: Closed-toe shoes are required. This is a drop-off event (parents/guardians should not attend). 

Program

5:00 p.m. – 5:10 p.m.  Registration and Check-In
5:10 p.m. – 5:20 p.m.  Welcome and Instruction
5:20 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.  Laboratory Science Experiment
6:00 p.m. – 6:05 p.m.  Break and Pizza
6:05 p.m. – 6:55 p.m.  Career Panel
6:55 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.  Closing Remarks

YWIB Age Group

Middle School through High School

Speaker Bios

Saoirse Price, Young Women In Bio Ambassador (San Francisco Bay Area)

Saoirse is a high school junior at El Camino High School in South San Francisco. She is passionate about all things science and, in particular, biotechnology. Saoirse partakes in various science activities, including El Caminos Biotechnology courses, Young Women in Bio, and Science Bowl Club. She has been a dedicated member of the Young Women In Bio Ambassador Program for the past year and is committed to inspiring and exposing other young women to STEM-related concepts. Just as Saoirse has discovered a passion for science, she hopes to ignite the same curiosity within the younger generation. In her free time, she enjoys golfing and building upon her leadership skills. One of Saoirse's proudest accomplishments is founding her own nonprofit, Girls Fore Golf, a female-focused golf community. Overall, Saoirse is an aspiring scientist, striving for innovation and impact upon others, and a driven golfer and leader.

Taylor Gray, Senior Scientist at AbbVie

Taylor is currently a Senior Scientist in In Vivo Pharmacology at AbbVie in South San Francisco. Her work at AbbVie focuses on evaluating immuno-oncology therapeutics in various cancer models for programs that range from early discovery to clinical stage. Prior to joining AbbVie, Taylor was a Scientist at Aakha Biologics, where she led the in vivo assessment of the antitumor efficacy of several early-stage antibody therapeutics directed against innate immune cell targets. Taylor received her Ph.D. in Molecular Engineering from the University of Chicago in December 2021, and her PhD research focused on developing tumor-targeted cancer vaccines. In her free time, Taylor likes hiking, traveling, and spending time at home with her two cats.

Ying-Tsu Loh, Executive Director of BABEC

Ying-Tsu leads BABEC’s strategic and business development, driving organizational growth and fostering strong collaborations with educational institutions and nonprofit partners, including the NSF-funded BioSCOPE project with CA community colleges. She is committed to building trust and meaningful partnerships that enhance biotechnology education and expand access to high-quality curricula, products, and services. Guided by a philosophy of continuous improvement, she ensures that BABEC operates effectively while supporting educators and their students. Since joining BABEC in 2016, Ying-Tsu has held key roles in project and operations management. She is on the Leadership Team of InnovATEBIO, the NSF-National Center for Biotechnology Education, where she champions the Supply Chain Hub and works with the High School Pathways Hub. She was an adjunct faculty member in the Biotechnology Program at CCSF from 2004 to 2016. Ying-Tsu earned her PhD in agronomy and plant molecular biology from Purdue University. As a past volunteer with Scouts of America, she is a proud parent of two Eagle Scouts. She enjoys camping, hiking, and traveling in search of the world's most breathtaking views.

Ittai Eres, Senior Scientist at Amgen

Ittai joined Amgen in December 2020 after receiving his PhD in human genetics from the University of Chicago. He is currently a Senior Scientist in Bioinformatics Technologies at South San Francisco, where he develops, deploys, and utilizes computational infrastructure to process various multi-omics datasets, supporting early target validation and characterization. Prior to joining Amgen, his research focused on characterizing 3D genome folding (Hi-C) and gene expression (RNA-seq) differences between humans and chimpanzees, establishing a passion for gene regulation and its impact on phenotypes and disease. In his free time, Ittai enjoys playing soccer and chess, among other board games.

Pricing Information

• Members/Non-Members: Free

 Please read the WIB Code of Conduct and In-Person Event Waiver.

Maximum Capacity

30

Parking Information

Free parking is available at the Library | Parks & Recreation Center. Spots are reserved for handicapped vehicles, energy-efficient vehicles, and short-term parking, and four electric vehicle charging stations. There is also a small parking garage with less than 20 spots.