July 31, 2025
Linda Blaser
Leslie Casares ’26 makes College history with national science scholarship win
When neuroscience major and music minor Leslie Casares ’26 decided to apply for a national science scholarship, she didn’t tell anyone—not even her research mentor.
“I just saw it and thought, this is for people like me—people who want to lead, who want to advocate, and who want to make an impact through science,” she said.
Weeks later, Disque D. and Carol Gram Deane Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Neuroscience Shubhik DebBurman was stunned to learn Casares had not only applied but had been selected. Casares is the first Lake Forest College student to receive the Marion B. Sewer Distinguished Scholarship for Undergraduates, awarded by the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB).
Awards were granted based on academic merit, demonstrated need, overcoming barriers, career and/or research goals, commitment to enhance diversity and advancing the scientific field.
A research path with purpose
Casares has conducted research on Parkinson’s disease in DebBurman’s lab, ever since she joined it as a a first year Richter Scholar. Using a yeast model system, she investigates the molecular mechanisms behind neurodegeneration. She co-presented findings at the 2024 ASBMB national conference and will return in 2025 to present her senior thesis.
“She’s a standout researcher, a respected student leader in the research lab, classroom, and the life science student community at the College, and she applied for this scholarship entirely on her own,” DebBurman said.
“When Leslie told me she had been selected, I was surprised because the national pool of applicants is very competitive and yet incredibly proud that she was undeterred and went for it. In fact, she is a perfect choice. She enjoys mentoring younger peers and conducting science outreach with all age groups and she inspires others to do the same. Her actions are very much in the spirit of what Dr. Sewer stood for.”
“Leslie’s achievement is exceptional,” Dr. Shubhik DebBurman said.
Casares was drawn to the scholarship in part because of the legacy of its namesake, Dr. Marion Sewer, a pioneering researcher who championed student mentorship and inclusion in STEM.
“Her story really spoke to me,” Casares said. “I want to follow that same path—doing meaningful research, mentoring others, and connecting science to the public.”
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“Doing research in the lab and being part of the music community on campus has helped me grow in every way. They’ve given me perspective, balance, and the confidence to ask new questions.”
Leslie Casares ’26
The power of interdisciplinary coursework
While Casares arrived at Lake Forest intending to major in neuroscience, she discovered a new direction through the College’s unique interdisciplinary offerings. A course on the neuroscience of music reawakened her passion for performance and led to her music minor.
“I had stopped singing after the pandemic, but that course helped me reconnect with music,” she said. Now, she is interested in studying how music therapy may benefit people with Parkinson’s disease—combining her academic interests in science and the arts.
Casares credits Lake Forest’s faculty-mentored research opportunities, small class sizes, and inclusive community with shaping her experience.
“Being in Dr. D’s lab, presenting at national conferences, and finding out about scholarships like this one—it’s all part of what’s possible here,” she said. “But it’s also the culture. I’ve learned as much from my professors and research partners as I have from the broader campus community.”
With plans to pursue a PhD in neurobiology and eventually become a professor, Casares is already leading by example—through curiosity, initiative, and a commitment to making science more accessible and inclusive.
