Research Interests:
Mitochondria are involved in a myriad of
cellular processes and pathways including, but
not limited to, metabolism, oxidative stress
homeostasis, immune response, autophagy, and
apoptosis. Mitochondrial dysfunction is also a
factor in many pathologies such as, metabolic
disorders, neurodegenerative diseases, and
cancer. There is a complex interplay between
cellular homeostasis and mitochondria
homeostasis that is not yet fully understood,
and it is imperative for pathways involved to be
uncovered to advance the understanding of cell
biology as a whole.
My ongoing graduate research in Dr. Natasha
Kirienko’s lab is focused on developing and
enriching a gene network that is indicative of
mitochondrial dysfunction. I am using cancer as
a model for my research. I have conducted
various and extensive assays to test genes
mutated in different cancer cell lines obtained
from the NCI-60 database. These assays are
enriching for genes that exhibit death as a
result of dysfunctional mitophagy. Our
overarching objective is to use the network to
uncover new pathways that are related to
mitochondrial damage and study them to gain a
better understanding of mitochondrial function
and the various interactions within and outside
of the cell.
(And cure cancer along the way, why not?)
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