For Carla Becerra SM ’26, curiosity about science grew out of something very human: care. Watching her parents, both nurses assistants, go above and beyond caring for their patients made her want to make a difference, too.

“My mom would even bring patients into our home and celebrate their birthdays with us,” Becerra says. “Watching her care for people made me want to do the same.”

That early exposure to healthcare sparked Becerra’s dream to one day conduct research that could improve the lives of patients. Now, three years after she first arrived on campus, Becerra is well on her way—thanks in large part, she says, to Yale’s Science, Technology and Research Scholars (STARS) program.

Opening Doors

Born in Cajamarca, Peru, and raised in Virginia after moving to the US at age seven, Becerra grew up surrounded by family, with eleven relatives under one roof. College at Yale wasn’t something she had originally envisioned, but when a guidance counselor suggested she apply, she took the chance. Soon enough, she was opening her acceptance letter.

“I can’t even describe the feeling,” she says. “I recorded myself opening the decision with my parents, but I can never show anyone the video because it’s just so full of so many emotions. I’d never seen my dad cry before that moment.”

When Becerra got to campus, she learned about STARS, a program designed to support students from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds in the sciences, engineering, and mathematics. 
She applied and was accepted into STARS I, a program that pairs first-years with junior and senior mentors in small peer groups. Those gatherings, along with panels and workshops with graduate students, faculty, and alumni, helped Becerra see how she might belong in Yale’s research world.

Finding a Research Home

With encouragement from her STARS I mentor, Becerra reached out to Lilian Kabeche, Assistant Professor in Yale’s Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry and member of the Yale Cancer Biology Institute, who taught her introductory biology course.

“I really enjoyed her as a professor, so my mentor encouraged me to read some of her papers and email her to see if she needed any undergraduate research assistants,” Becerra says. “And that’s how I got into cancer biology.”

During her first summer in the Kabeche Lab, Becerra studied two proteins with essential roles in maintaining genome stability during cell division. ATR, a kinase best known for its role in responding to replication stress, also helps ensure proper chromosome segregation in mitosis. Topoisomerase IIα (TOP2A), on the other hand, is responsible for disentangling and organizing chromosomes so they can separate correctly.

Becerra’s project focused on determining how these proteins interact and identifying the signaling pathways through which ATR regulates chromosome organization via TOP2A. Because disruptions in these pathways can lead to chromosomal instability, a hallmark of cancer, understanding their molecular connections is critical for cancer research.

Becerra worked full-time in Kebeche’s lab as part of the STARS I Summer Research Program, which also included a course that required her to write up and present her findings from the summer.

"That class taught me so many skills that I still use today,” Becerra says. “Everything my professor, Dr. Moreno, taught me about communicating research comes back whenever I prepare for a scientific presentation, and learning how to read and interpret scientific papers gave me a strong foundation in scientific language and research."

Now a senior, Becerra is working on her senior thesis in Kebeche’s lab and still relying on the skills and support from the STARS program. She’s now in STARS II, a program for juniors and seniors that funds their research and continues to hone their scientific skills.

“Research can be so tiring and all-consuming,” Becerra says. “For example, this past summer, I felt like time was flying by and I wasn’t making progress. I’m very grateful to my STARS II mentor, Claire Butler, who helped me navigate those frustrations and reminded me that this is what science is, experiments fail, and you keep going.”

A Future in Focus

Looking ahead, Becerra plans to take a gap year before applying to medical school and envisions blending clinical practice and research.

“The skills I’ve gained through STARS, like asking questions, designing experiments, and dealing with setbacks, are things I’ll carry with me whether I’m in a lab or working with patients,” she says. 
For Becerra, science is no longer an abstract dream, but a daily practice, and she says that transformation wouldn’t have been possible without the support, structure, and mentorship she found in STARS.

“Coming in, I’d never set foot in a lab or written a scientific paper,” she says. “Now I feel comfortable talking about my research, presenting at conferences, and even mentoring others. STARS pushed me to grow into the scientist I always hoped I could be.”