Experience with chronic illness leads graduate student to diagnostics lab
Madeline Glass. Photo by Andy DeLisle/ASU
Editor’s note: This story is part of a series of profiles of notable spring 2026 graduates.
For Madeline Glass, the path to studying diagnostics began with years of unanswered medical questions.
Growing up in Arizona after moving from Indiana, Glass was interested in neuroscience, but it wasn’t until her own experiences with chronic illness that her academic goals shifted. After developing a stomach condition in 2020, she spent years navigating inconclusive tests and delayed answers.
“There’s something incredibly frustrating and demoralizing about not having answers,” she said. “I realized how many people go through that same experience. That was the moment I knew I wanted to work on improving diagnostics and making them more accessible and accurate.”
At Arizona State University’s Biodesign Institute, she found an approach that aligned with that goal. Working in Joshua LaBaer’s lab within the Virginia G. Piper Center for Personalized Diagnostics, Glass contributed to a graduate project focused on devices aimed at identifying multiple biomarkers at once.
Now completing her master’s degree in biochemistry this May, Glass will continue her research as a PhD student in the same lab, building on her work in diagnostics and screening. Driven by both personal experience and scientific curiosity, she hopes to contribute to earlier, more comprehensive detection methods.
“Early detection changes everything,” she said. “With better screening tools, we could shift from reacting to disease to preventing its progression.”
Read more about Glass’ experience at ASU below.
Note: Answers have been edited for length and clarity.
Question: What was your “aha” moment when you realized you wanted to study the field you majored in?
Answer: Back in 2020, I started trying to figure out a stomach condition I was dealing with, and it ended up taking years to finally get a diagnosis in 2026. Going through that process made me realize just how limited our diagnostics still are today. That was the moment I knew I wanted to work on improving diagnostics and making them more accessible and accurate.
Q: Why did you choose to work at the Biodesign Institute?
A: One of the biggest things that drew me to the Biodesign Institute was how interdisciplinary everything is. During my master’s work, I was constantly encouraged to reach out to people in completely different fields just to learn and ask questions. There’s a real culture of curiosity, where “black boxes” aren’t accepted — you’re expected to understand how and why things work. That environment made it feel like collaboration wasn’t just allowed but expected. It’s such a unique space where learning goes beyond your own project.
Q: What’s something you learned here that surprised you or changed your perspective?
A: One of the biggest things I learned was how to deal with failure. There were definitely moments where experiments failed over and over again. Learning how to bounce back, adjust and keep going has been one of the most valuable skills I’ve gained. It completely changed how I think about progress in science.
Q: What is an important lesson your mentor at Biodesign Institute has taught you?
A: My mentors at Biodesign really taught me to always come back to the “why.” Whenever I got caught up in the details of a project, they would push me to think about the bigger picture — who this work could help and why it matters. That perspective helped ground my research in real-world impact. It also made me more intentional about the questions I ask and the problems I choose to work on. It’s something I carry with me in every project now.
Q: What’s the best piece of advice you’d give to those still in school?
A: Never be afraid to ask the “dumb” question. This is something I’m still learning, but I’ve realized those questions are often the most important ones. A lot of professors and researchers actually love when you ask them because it shows you’re really trying to understand. Those simple questions can uncover gaps in understanding or even bigger issues in a system.
Q: If someone gave you $40 million to solve one problem on our planet, what would you tackle?
A: I would focus on improving early screening for all types of cancer. One of my undergraduate professors once said that if cancer could always be caught early, it wouldn’t be nearly as deadly — and that really stuck with me. Early detection changes everything when it comes to outcomes. That’s something I would love to contribute to.
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