Home Department: Biology

2021 Research Project:“Genome-Wide Profiling of Histone Modifications in Breast Cancer Stem Cells”

2021 Mentor: Michael Clarke (Medicine - Oncology)

Alice is investigating the epigenetic regulation of cancer stem cells to better develop treatments for different cancers through the fields of organic chemistry and medicine. This project will combine sequencing techniques with chromatin immunoprecipitation quantitative polymerase chain reaction and 3D organoid culture assays as well as computational analysis to better visualize and understand the epigenetic status of cancer stem cells.
 

2022 Research Project:“Novel Ganglioside Centered Immunotherapy for Pediatric Cancers”

2022 Mentor: Robbie Majzner (Pediatrics - Hematology & Oncology)

Disialoganglioside GD2, a cell surface glycosphingolipid is a useful biological marker for many cancers and target for immunotherapy, however mechanisms underlying oncogenesis are poorly understood. To elucidate the cell death mechanism and possible signaling pathway behind GD2 activation in pediatric cancers, Alice will perform gene expression experiments and functional studies (e.g. knock-out and overexpression of candidate genes followed by assessment of induced cell death assays). She will also learn and perform tissue culture, cell line maintenance, ganglioside screening by flow cytometry, phagocytosis assays, and cloning and testing of constructs for ganglioside overexpression and regulation. This work will illuminate the importance of various genes for the induction of cell death after GD2 activation.