University: Delaware State University
Hometown: Dover, DE
NIH Research Project:
Analysis of Estrogen Receptor alpha Variants 303 and 537 in Endometrial and Ovarian Cancer
Mentor: J. Carl Barrett, Ph.D.
Center for Cancer Research
National Cancer Institute
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I am a 2002 graduate of Delaware State University, where I majored in biology with a minor in chemistry. I will be entering the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine this fall, where I will begin Ph.D. studies in pharmacology. Being a cancer survivor, I am especially interested in the area of cancer pharmacology and will specialize in that area during my studies as a graduate student.
My first research experience began in the summer of 2000 in the area of cancer. This was under the guidance of Dr. Miriam L. Wahl, at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This opportunity helped spark my curiosity and motivation in pursuing a rigorous program such as a combined M.D./Ph.D. It also stimulated me to take advantage of the opportunities available in other places of research development. This determination led me to the UGSP. For 2 years the UGSP has laid the foundation for me as a young researcher and led me to discover aspects of research other than what I learned previously.
My first summer in the UGSP, which was in 2001, I trained at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Strokes in the Department of Viral Immunology. This was a very new experience for me because it was outside of my "comfort zone," which is cancer research. That summer I studied the association of human herpes virus 6 and multiple sclerosis.
This summer I chose to train at the National Cancer Institute. I work in the Laboratory of Biosystems and Cancer, headed by Dr. Carl Barrett. My area of research focuses on the analysis of estrogen receptors in endometrial and ovarian cancer. Estrogen receptors have been implicated in breast cancers and may be implicated in other cancers as well. |
