By Holly Alyssa MacCormick

Charting a career path is one of the biggest journeys we will undertake in our lifetimes. That’s why the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) created the Bridges to Stem Cell Research and Therapy (Bridges) program. California universities and colleges use Bridges awards to train undergraduate and master’s students in stem cell research, providing skills, lab experience, and connections to potential employers at stem cell laboratories.

Associate Professor of Biological Science Nilay Patel, PhD, founded the Bridges program at California State University, Fullerton. Ramadhan Ahmed is a former student of Patel’s who graduated from Bridges and Fullerton in 2023.

“By creating programs like Bridges, CIRM has made science more accessible to students,” said Patel. “We have lots of first-generation students and students from non-science backgrounds.”

Bridges offered Ahmed a way to follow in the footsteps of two of his heroes who championed helping others and using knowledge as power, Spider-Man and Malcom X.

“I’ve seen so much suffering in my life, whether it was my family members back home in Africa, or where I lived in Anaheim, California,” said Ahmed. “I never had any power to relieve suffering. I was never in a position of power. For me, CIRM’s Bridges program was a way to empower myself and put myself in a position to heal others.”

Giving those students this kind of opportunity is powerful, Patel said.

“They never knew they could become a stem cell biologist, and now they are flourishing as stem cell biologists because of programs like Bridges.”

Bridges at Fullerton

Patel discovered his passion for science when he took a cell biology course for fun as an undergraduate.

“A lot of students don’t seek out the opportunity or have the luxury of exploring biology,” said Patel. “So, I have always wanted to create learning experiences that foster passion for science.”

When he learned about CIRM’s Bridges awards, he immediately applied for a grant. In 2009, Patel created the Bridges program at Fullerton, one of 15 Bridges programs at colleges and universities throughout California.

Patel has received $16M from CIRM to support Bridges and other educational programs at Fullerton. Each cohort of Bridges students completes 19 months of training, including labs and lectures in stem cell biology, internship training, and internships, and community outreach.

In one community outreach activity, Bridges students created seven short social media-type videos that inform general biology students about the basics of stem cells, including what they are, how they are obtained, and how they can treat diseases.

“Over 1,200 students enroll in this general education biology 101 class every year, and they get to learn a little bit about stem cell biology from their Bridges peers,” said Patel.

“Everybody should care about stem cell biology,” said Patel. “CIRM is changing the way stem cell techniques and technology will be available to Californians and citizens of the world. Knowing about stem cells helps you make better decisions about your health.”

For Patel, the goal is not only to teach Bridges students, but to use the Bridges program to create a more informed community.

A path to helping others

Caring for community is a core value for Ahmed and his family. The Bridges program helped him to create a career path that enables him to care for and give back to others, two principles his family instilled in him at an early age.

“I spent my whole childhood taking care of my little brothers, my little cousins. … I was always in the position of caring for people,” said Ahmed. “And I realized that the more I cared for people, the more at peace and content I was and the more happiness I had.

Ahmed was born in Wajir, Kenya. His father immigrated to the U.S. and worked as a gas station clerk until he saved enough money to bring Ahmed and his mother to California. His mother taught herself English so she could teach it to her son by reading him “Magic School Bus” books.

Ahmed became the first member of his family to attend college. He knew he wanted to help others, but he wasn’t sure what to study. Then the allure of a free lunch at a research fair led him to a CIRM presentation.

“As I listened to the presentation on stem cells and regenerative medicine, I thought, ‘This is exactly what happened in Spider-Man.’ That’s what got me interested.”

A hero’s journey

Ahmed got a second nudge to pursue regenerative medicine from his other hero, Malcom X.

“At the time, I was reading the autobiography of Malcolm X … and I was searching different ways to use knowledge to uplift myself or my community,” said Ahmed. “I saw the value in being able to heal people, and that’s what called me to CIRM’s program. I believed in the mission:  empowering people through regenerative medicine. That aligned with my own beliefs and how I wanted to live my life.”

Ahmed applied to become a biology major that week and registered for Patel’s class.

“Dr. Patel saw my potential from day one, and he has always pushed me to realize that potential,” said Ahmed. “He taught me critical skills that I applied not only in the Bridges program, but also in my career in medicine. He helped me thrive in my journey to become a doctor who uplifts people.”

Patel became the first of several mentors who helped transform the trajectory of Ahmed’s life.

“I think in life you need more than one mentor,” said Ahmed. “I needed someone to help me learn critical thinking and biology, and that was Dr. Patel. I needed a life mentor. That was Dr. Priscilla Slepicka at my Stanford internship. She was an immigrant, just like me. She told me her story, and I could relate. She helped me get into medical school. Roshani Shina and Rachana Patil at Stanford helped me with my lab experiments and technical skills.”

The impact of Bridges

The Bridges program at Fullerton has supported 154 students—135 are graduates, seven students currently in internships, and 12 students starting internships in January 2027. Of the 135 Bridges graduates, 28 entered academic research, 27 built biotech careers, 24 pursued careers in medicine, and 20 pursued PhDs.

These students now have a deeper appreciation and understanding of stem cell biology and regenerative medicine, which benefits the students they mentor, their patients, colleagues, families, and communities. 

“When you help one person, you can help the whole community,” said Ahmed. “My upbringing taught me to recognize suffering, my family taught me resilience, and my community taught me that service is a meaningful way to honor the sacrifices that brought me here.”

The Fullerton Bridges program and Patel’s mentorship helped set Ahmed on the path to success. Ahmed will graduate from medical school at Johns Hopkins University in May 2027. Soon he’ll learn where he will go for his medical residency in ophthalmology.

“Learning about CIRM was just one of the luckiest moments of my life,” said Ahmed. “I found the Bridges program and my mentor Dr. Patel when I needed them most. … I’m the first one in my family to go to college. I never had a path laid out for me. I always had to figure things out on my own. I’m incredibly grateful that CIRM gave me a road that I could take to live out my dreams and that Dr. Patel was there to guide me along the way.”