Photo of Stanford student and Stanford Bio-X Undergraduate Summer Research Program Participant Emmanuelle Williamson.
2020 Undergraduate Summer Research Program Participant

Home Department: undeclared
Mentor: Michelle Monje, Neurology & Neurological Sciences

“Unraveling Neuronal Activity-Mediated Glioma Growth”

High-grade gliomas are aggressive brain tumors, the progression of which is regulated by neuronal activity and the microenvironment of the brain. It has been observed that the depolarization, or the shift in electrical charge within a cell, of glioma membranes promotes the proliferation of glioma tumors, through unknown signaling mechanisms. Emma hopes to identify the pathways activated by this glioma membrane depolarization that regulate the growth of glioma cells. This research could elucidate neuronal activity-mediated glioma growth and novel therapeutic targets for high-grade gliomas.