Dr. Luis Carvajal- Carmona is an Associate Vice Chancellor and Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine at the University of California, Davis (UCD). He earned his Ph.D. from University College London, completed postdoctoral training at the London Research Institute (now part of The Francis Crick Institute), and served as a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Oxford. Dr. Carvajal-Carmona specializes in cancer genetics, epidemiology, health disparities, and global health. He has discovered several cancer genes and published over 100 manuscripts in influential journals, including Nature Genetics, Gastroenterology, the American Journal of Human Genetics, Lancet Gastroenterology and Hepatology, and PNAS. His key scientific contributions include elucidating the genetic origins of Latino populations, identifying the first common variants that increase the risk of colorectal cancer, and discovering a novel familial form of gastric cancer. He has received awards and fellowships from the European Association for Cancer Research, the University of Oxford, and the V Foundation. Additionally, Dr. Carvajal-Carmona serves on the Advisory Boards of the University of California Office of the President, the California Cancer Registry, the NIH, the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), and various NIH- funded research and training grants. He also contributes to the Cancer and Prevention Institute of Texas (CRIT). Dr. Carvajal-Carmona's mentorship has resulted in numerous success stories, instilling hope and optimism in biomedical research. He was the first in his family to attend college, and his journey has inspired him to mentor dozens of undergraduate and graduate students, most of whom are first-generation college graduates. His mentees have received over 60 fellowships and research awards and are all pursuing higher education or working at leading institutions and companies. Dr. Carvajal-Carmona' s most fulfilling accomplishment is witnessing his mentees shine and realize their dreams. He has been honored with the UCD Chancellor' s Award for Excellence in Mentoring Undergraduate Research and the UCD ADVANCE Scholar Award for outstanding scholarship and mentorship.