MiraCosta College students will have expanded opportunities to train for careers at the forefront of regenerative medicine and cell therapy manufacturing through a nearly $7 million investment approved by the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM).
CIRM’s governing board approved $6.9 million for MiraCosta College’s Hands-On Program for Excellence in Cell Therapy Manufacturing Sciences (HOPE-CTMS), a multi-year initiative designed to prepare students for careers in California’s growing regenerative medicine and life sciences workforce.
Led by Dr. Mike Fino, dean of natural and social sciences at MiraCosta College, and Kaeu Wong, director of the Biscience Workforce Development Hub, the program will combine advanced laboratory training with mentorship, research experiences, and internships in academic and industry laboratories. Students will have opportunities to develop skills in areas including cell and gene therapies, regenerative medicine, and commercial biotechnology while completing their undergraduate education.
For students, the investment means more opportunities to move beyond the classroom, gain experience in research laboratories, build relationships with mentors, and begin seeing themselves in careers they may not have previously considered possible.
MiraCosta College student Robert Zepeda knows how powerful that realization can be.
Zepeda returned to MiraCosta after stepping away from college and spending years balancing full-time work, personal loss, and responsibilities to support himself and others. His direction began to change when he took a job as a lab assistant in the research department of a diagnostics company. Working alongside chemists and experiencing laboratory science firsthand helped him begin to see biotechnology not simply as an interest but as a possible career.
Colleagues encouraged him to explore MiraCosta’s programs, and Zepeda eventually returned to college while continuing to work full-time. He is now the first Pasifika student accepted into MiraCosta College’s biomanufacturing program.
“The next thing I know, I was like, ‘Oh wow, this actually is not bad. I can actually do this,” he recalled.
At MiraCosta, Zepeda found additional hands-on laboratory experience and community through programs including Science and Lab Skills Advancement (SALSA). Mentors and faculty helped him build confidence as he pursued a STEM pathway in a field where he rarely encountered people who shared his cultural background.
Today, Zepeda hopes to pursue biotechnology and research, including stem cell research, with a long-term interest in improving health outcomes in underserved communities. His experience illustrates the kind of pathway the new CIRM investment is designed to expand: connecting students with laboratory experience, mentorship, research, and opportunities to turn an interest in science into a career.
The HOPE-CTMS program will build upon MiraCosta’s existing CIRM-supported training efforts and create multiple pathways for students. Participants may take part in multi-year laboratory rotations, intensive summer research opportunities, year-round internships, or full-time, 12-month Bridges internships. Students will also receive academic and career mentorship, participate in professional conferences, and engage in patient advocacy and community outreach.
Research experiences supported by the program may expose students to work involving cell therapies and regenerative medicine applications for cancer, diabetes, spinal cord injuries, autoimmune disorders, and neurological diseases.
“This investment creates opportunities for students to move beyond the classroom and into laboratories where they can develop the technical skills, confidence, and professional connections needed to build careers in regenerative medicine and cell therapy. For many students, that first hands-on research experience can be the moment they begin to see themselves as scientists and recognize that these careers are within reach.”
MiraCosta is among 17 programs statewide that were approved for CIRM education and research training funding at the agency’s September meeting. The investment comes as California continues to expand its regenerative medicine infrastructure and as San Diego remains one of the nation’s leading life sciences regions.
According to Biocom California’s 2026 Life Science Economic Impact Report, San Diego’s life sciences industry directly employed nearly 62,000 people and generated $55.2 billion in economic output in 2025.
“MiraCosta College is committed to ensuring that our students have access to education and experiences that lead to meaningful careers and economic opportunity. This investment will help connect students throughout our region with a growing life sciences industry while preparing the skilled workforce needed to advance discoveries that could improve lives,” comments MiraCosta College Superintendent/President Lennor M. Johnson.
The HOPE-CTMS program is designed to expand access for students who have historically been under-resourced while helping develop a workforce that reflects California’s diverse population. Students will receive focused academic and professional guidance while building the technical skills needed to enter careers in regenerative medicine or continue into advanced degree programs.
The award also builds on MiraCosta College’s longstanding leadership in biotechnology and biomanufacturing education. MiraCosta offers certificates and associate degrees in biotechnology-related disciplines as well as a Bachelor of Science in Biomanufacturing, preparing students for careers in an industry at the intersection of science, manufacturing, quality, and regulatory compliance.
CIRM established the education and research training awards to develop the next generation of professionals needed to advance regenerative medicine from scientific discovery to patient therapies. Across California, the agency approved more than $90 million for 17 undergraduate- and master’s-level training programs as part of a broader investment in regenerative medicine research, clinical trials, education, and patient access.
