Laura Sanchez

Laura Sanchez is an Associate Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC). She leads a research lab focused on imaging mass spectrometry and natural products discovery, with a particular emphasis on microbial interactions, metabolomics, and applications in women’s health. Previously, she was at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) before relocating to UCSC in 2021.

Education: B.A. in Chemistry from Whitman College (Walla Walla, WA) followed by a Ph.D. in Chemistry at UCSC under Professor Phil Crews. Postdoctoral training included work under Professors Roger Linington (UCSC) and Pieter Dorrestein (UC San Diego as an NIH IRACDA Fellow). Her research integrates advanced mass spectrometry techniques with biological systems to study small molecule communication in microbial communities and cancer metabolism.

Research Interests: Specialization in imaging mass spectrometry (MALDI-TIMS-MS2), microbial metabolomics, and development of novel techniques like SICRIT (Soft Ionization by Chemical Reaction in-Transfer). Her lab investigates how microbial interactions influence metabolite production and explores metabolomic signatures in ovarian cancer progression. Recent work includes spatial quantification of signaling molecules (e.g., c-di-GMP in biofilms) and the role of neurotransmitters like norepinephrine in cancer cell survival.

Awards:

• K12 BIRCWH Scholar (2016–2017)
• 2019 UIC Rising Star in the Life Sciences
• 2022 ACS Infectious Diseases Young Investigator Award
• 2022 American Society for Pharmacognosy Matt Suffness Young Investigator Award

Grants & Collaboration: Developed the Natural Products Atlas (open-access knowledge base) and contributed to workflows like TIMSCONVERT. Collaborations span microbiology, oncology, and bioinformatics, with a focus on translational research in women’s health. Current projects include analyzing fallopian tube-ovary cross-talk in high-grade serous ovarian cancer and optimizing mass spectrometry for high-throughput screening.

Labs & Teams: Directs an interdisciplinary lab at UCSC, emphasizing open-source method development and collaborative microbiome research. Her team includes graduate students and postdocs working on microbial communication, cancer metabolomics, and imaging technology innovation.