Katia Luna
About Katia Luna
Katia Luna is an SDSU/CIRM Research Intern at the Shiley Center for Orthopaedic Research and Education, currently conducting research on osteoarthritis and cartilage degeneration. She has previously interned at NASA, UC San Diego, and Stanford University, and holds a BA in Anthropology from San Diego State University.
Current Position
Katia Luna is working as an SDSU/CIRM Research Intern at the Shiley Center for Orthopaedic Research and Education, which is part of Scripps Health in San Diego, California. In this role, she is currently conducting research focused on osteoarthritis and cartilage degeneration.
Previous Experience at NASA
Katia Luna has interned at NASA’s National Aeronautics and Space Administration in 2020 for one month in Pasadena, California. Additionally, she participated in the NCAS program at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, where she interned for two months in 2019.
Academic Background
Katia Luna studied Anthropology and achieved a Bachelor of Arts (BA) at San Diego State University from 2021 to 2023. Prior to that, she studied at Humboldt State University for 11 months in 2020 and at Southwestern Community College District from 2018 to 2020.
Research Experience
Katia Luna gained significant research experience during her two-year tenure as a Research Intern at the UC San Diego Altman Clinical and Translational Research Institute from 2019 to 2021. Additionally, she participated in the Stanford Summer Community College Premedical program for two months in 2019.
Early Career at Open Biopharma
In 2021, Katia Luna was involved with the Open Biopharma Research and Training Institute as part of the CIRM Bridges Pre-Internship Workshop in Carlsbad, California. Although her tenure was brief, it marked the beginning of her career in research.