2019 Fall Postdoctoral Candidate Pelotonia Scholars
Renan Aguilar-Valenzuela, MD, PhD
Project – The Role of p16INK4a in CD8+ T-Cell Immune-Senescence and Tumor Control
Summary – My project aims to identify mechanisms that lead to T-cell decline and cancer growth in older adults. With this knowledge, I hope to define ways to improve current immune-based cancer therapies, counteract age-related declines in T-cell function and ultimately stave off cancer.
Rene Arvola, PhD
Project – Investigating Casc3 Function in Localized mRNA Regulation During Development and Cancer Metastasis
Summary – My project focuses on the Cancer Susceptibility Candidate 3 (Casc3), a gene that is upregulated in metastatic cancer. Using the zebrafish model, I will investigate Casc3 molecular functions during development, and test whether Casc3 potentiates cancer metastasis. These combined approaches will help us better understand how Casc3 functions both normally in development and abnormally in cancer.
2020 Pelotonia Participant – 25 miles
Djawed Bennouna, PhD
Project – The Assessment of Candidate Lipids as Biomarkers of Chemotherapy-Induced Cognitive Impairment
Summary – My project looks at the long-term cognitive side effects of chemotherapy treatment, including what is known as “chemo brain.” The diagnosis of this remains subjective because no biomarkers have been identified. Our study aims to identify chemo brain earlier, potentially even identifying those at risk for chemo brain before they even begin chemotherapy treatment. This study will also potentially identify which dietary strategies may reduce chemo brain symptoms in breast cancer survivors.
2019 Pelotonia Participant – 25 miles
Anoosha Paruchuri, PhD
Project – Application and Evaluation of Computational Approaches for Characterizing Tumor Heterogeneity
Summary – My project focuses on using genetics and new statistical approaches to characterize how cancer cells evolve. Patients with advanced cancer may initially respond to therapy, but many patients experience ongoing cancer growth because they develop drug resistance and/or genetic changes in cancer cells. My study seeks to understand how cancers become resistant to therapy.
Ankita Saini, PhD
Project – Defining IL22 Regulatory Logic in Type 3 Lymphoid Cells During Inflammation and Colon Cancer
Summary – IL-22 is crucial for maintaining intestinal homeostasis. However, dysregulation of IL-22 can lead to the progression of many tumor types, including colorectal cancer (CRC). This study will identify the mechanisms that regulate IL-22 expression and determine how a tumor microenvironment alters these processes. This knowledge will open new avenues for therapeutic intervention in CRC and other malignancies.
2020 Pelotonia Participant – 25 miles
2019 Spring Postdoctoral Candidate Pelotonia Fellows
Amina Abdul-Aziz
Project – The Role of Senescent Bone Marrow Cells in the Microenvironment of Acute Myeloid Leukemia
Summary – Comprehensively examine the epigenetic age of bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells (BMSCs), acute myeloid leukemia (AML) tumor cells and surrounding T cells in order to provide a quantitative measure of senescence in elderly AML patients, further enhance risk stratification and help identify novel age-related targets in AML.
2019 Pelotonia Participant – Virtual rider
Watch as Amina shares more details about her research project.
Federico Colombo, PhD
Project – Deciphering Extracellular Vesicle-Mediated Intercellular Communication to Stop Breast Cancer
Summary – My project uses a revolutionary technology called lattice light sheet fluorescent microscopy (LLSFM). LLSFM is a game-changing microscope that permits the visualization of living cells in three dimensions and real time. I will use this technique to directly observe the interaction of extracellular vesicles (EVs), which are membrane particles released by all cells, with breast cancer cells. I hope this will generate an invaluable amount of information that can be exploited to design novel therapies to block breast cancer metastasis formation and transform this deadly cancer into a curable disease.
Laura Baltierra Jasso
Project – Elucidating Integration Dynamics of Oncogenic Mouse Mammary Tumor Virus (MMTV)
Summary – Examine oncogenic MMTV intasome dynamics using fluorescence ensemble and single-molecule platforms. The main goals are to 1) characterize the MMTV integrase affinity for linear naked DNA, damaged DNA and histone proteins, and 2) quantitatively measure the dynamics of MMTV intasome integration.
2019 Pelotonia Participant – Virtual rider
Debasis Nayak
Project – Targeting Solute Carrier Transporters to Prevent Pancreatic Cancer Progression
Summary – Utilize genetic, molecular and pharmacological approaches, as well as orthotopic and spontaneous mouse models of human pancreatic cancer, to identify specific SLC transporter(s) promoting EMT, understand their mechanism of action and target those SLCs to limit pancreatic cancer metastasis.
2019 Pelotonia Participant – Virtual rider
Laura Prater
Project – Uncovering Effective Solutions to Failed Hospice Transitions at the End of Life for Advanced Cancer
Summary– Identify factors contributing to the success of hospice transitions among dying patients with cancer. This study will produce foundational evidence for my long-term goal of developing a translational, evidence-based approach, national policy recommendations and risk stratification schemas concerning end-of-life communication to improve the quality of cancer care at the end of life.
2019 Pelotonia Participant – Rider: 35 miles
Sajad Ahmad Wani
Project – Re-Wiring of Androgen Receptor Signaling by miR-96 in Prostate Cancer
Summary – Investigate miR-96 regulation of the retinoic acid receptor gamma (RAR) and its ability to regulate the androgen receptor’s transcriptional choices with the ultimate goal of augmenting anti-androgen therapies in advance-stage prostate cancer.
2019 Pelotonia Participant – Virtual rider
Youssef Youssef
Project – Targeting Transducin β-Like Protein 1 (TBL1) in c-Myc-Driven Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma
Summary – Study the effects of TBL1 inhibition in preclinical in vivo c-Myc-driven DLBCL models and on the viability and function of normal immune cells. Results from this project will establish TBL1 as a novel master regulator of c-Myc-driven DLBCL proliferation and survival and will facilitate the development of an entirely novel targeted therapeutic approach for patients affected by this aggressive cancer.
2019 Pelotonia Participant – Rider: 25 miles
Watch as Youssef shares more details about his research project.