Megan Tandar

Academic Interests

Chemistry and Asian American Diaspora Studies

Fun Fact

I'm in a rock band (@thetrench.live on insta) and we just released our first album! 

Growing up in Utah, science education often felt like an unattainable - debated in school board meetings, underfunded in classrooms, and limited in public schools like mine. It’s shaped how I understand science - not just the field itself, but within the context of who you are, and where you were from. This awareness is personal: coming from mixed Southeast Asian and East Asian backgrounds, I’ve also witnessed how research and treatments have often missed critical differences between groups. Although we’re grouped under a single label, AAPI communities have vastly different histories, cultures, and health contexts — yet are frequently underrepresented and understudied in science and medicine.  

Motivated by my upbringing and heritage, I’ve pursued STEM equity initiatives, designed STEM outreach programs for students in Utah and Durham, and volunteered with organizations that expand educational access. At the same time, I've always been drawn to the science itself: I started in an autophagy lab, engineering protein domains to target disease-causing aggregates. I later moved towards translational research in cancer biology, joining Dr. Christine Eyler’s radiation oncology lab, and studying precision genomics at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard- experiences that have solidified my commitment to the scientific community. Ultimately, I hope to pursue graduate training in the future, working toward a vision of precision medicine that meets people where they are at — science shaped by context, representation, and impact. 

What do you like about being a SPIRE Fellow?

SPIRE has truly been the reason why I've felt confident in pursuing science - from the advice our directors have given, to the friendships I've made, and mentors I've met -- I wouldn't be where I am without the support of everybody in SPIRE.