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Mentor: Laura Prolo (Neurosurgery)

“Studying the Role of Molecular Drivers of Pediatric Glioma Tumor Cell Invasion Using CRISPR-Screening Approaches”

Pediatric brain tumors are the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in children, however the molecular drivers of tumor cell invasion are still not well characterized. Using a genome-wide CRISPR screen, the Prolo lab identified MAP4K4 as a key regulator of tumor cell invasion in high grade gliomas. Ellie will investigate how downstream effectors of MAP4K4 (ie. LATS1/2, YAP/TAZ) affect tumor cell invasion dynamics when cells use cytoplasmic structures called tumor microtubes to move, both in vitro and ex vivo. By identifying the genes responsible for the invasive nature of pediatric glioma cells, the lab will be closer to preventing recurrence.