My former life as a
Scientist
My undergraduate and graduate careers centered on science, especially translational cancer biology. For a comprehensive list of my scientific experiences, download my resume and/or CV from here.
Scroll down to learn a bit about my dissertation and grad school projects from the Devi Cell Death Laboratory, Division of Surgical Sciences, Department of Surgery, Duke University School of Medicine.
You can also view my undergraduate literature and research theses as well as my MBA capstone paper (on medical residency program management) below. Although my PhD dissertation is currently on embargo (unpublished) until August 2023, you can request a copy directly by contacting me.
Geospatial Cancer Epidemiology
What is the link between breast cancer and environment? Does it vary by cancer stage, environment type, urbanicity? This work was made possible by Dr. Kate Hoffman, environmental epidemiologist at Duke University Nicholas School of the Environment.
We investigated factors in the environment - from land, air, water, sociodemographic, and built environments - which may play a role in the development and progression of different stages of breast cancer. We did this using geospatial statistical approaches and data from large-scale North Carolina breast cancer patient datasets as well as USEPA and CDC environmental and demographic datasets.
Environmental Chemical Exposure
In the past, environmental chemicals have always been studied in the context of causing cancer. But what can they do to a tumor that's already formed? Speed up growth? Enable metastasis? Promote death and treatment resistance? My dissertation work sought to explore the research question: Can environmental chemical exposure influence breast tumor progression?
I used a complex mixture of environmental endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) derived from a contaminated site in Virginia. EDCs such as PAHs are known to have hormone mimicking abilities and wreak havoc on hormone signaling such as estrogen signaling. This means they can have potentially profound impacts on hormone-driven cancers, such as breast cancers.
PAHs are products of fuel combustion, found in tobacco smoke, industrial emissions, vehicle exhaust, grilled/smoked meats and seafood, and other human sources. Many PAH compounds are considered carcinogenic.
Inflammatory Breast Cancer
Inflammatory Breast Cancer (IBC) is a highly lethal breast cancer subtype. What makes it unique is that it is often undetected on a mammogram, and does not grow as a lump in the breast. It is estimated that around 10% of ALL breast cancer deaths are attributed to IBC, though it is only 1-6% of all breast cancer cases diagnosed.
Compared with other types of breast cancer, IBC has a unique presentation, tends to be diagnosed at a younger age and in the United States, and African Americans are disproportionately at a higher risk of developing aggressive IBC with poor outcomes. The Duke Consortium for IBC is trying to figure out why, and trying to develop new therapies, interventions, educational initiatives, and community outreach ideas to reduce incidence and increase survival for IBC patients.
Cancer Health Disparities
Disparities in Environment and Health
There is no doubt that certain populations are exposed to worse environmental conditions that others. Statistical approaches and chemical biomonitoring data can help parse out who is more highly exposed and thus at higher risk for health consequences.
Disparities in Treatment Response
Some patients, regardless of all other things held constant, simply do not respond to treatment as well as others and have higher rates of relapse and metastasis. This is particularly true for certain races/ethnicities.
Tumor Cell Heterogeneity
This project began in collaboration with Dr. Mohit Kumar Jolly, then a postdoctoral associate at Rice University and now an Assistant Professor in India.
As a computational biologist and theoretical physicist, Dr. Jolly had been working on mathematical models to describe cancer stem cell heterogeneity within a tumor and how this can lead to problems in successful therapy. We then used the findings of those models to determine the role of a small protein - Jagged 1 - in tumor mechanics which can promote tumor cell cluster formation. This could have substantial impacts as a new therapy target and paves our way for understanding tumor cell treatment resistance and growth.
Our work together was published in PNAS in January 2019. See the press release from Duke University.
Lymphovascular Invasion
A major route of tumor cell metastasis is lymphovascular invasion, wherein cells enter the lymphatic system from blood vessels or tissues and can move more freely throughout the body.
Metastasis is the most common cause of death in cancer patients, wherein secondary growths can form in other parts of the body. We sought to better investigate the mechanics of tumor cell invasion and metastasis by simulating the lymphovascular interface, where blood vessels and tissues meet the lymphatic system.
We used techniques in 3D printing, tumor organoid growth, and lymphatic cell co-culture to build a model that could not only help with more applicable research, but could also serve as a diagnostic tool in certain cancer to measure metastatic capabilities of the tumor.
