Inherited mutations in many genes, including ATM, predispose to cancer when they are present in the heterozygous or homozygous states. “Classifying ATM Variants of Uncertain Significance using Functional Tests in Mesenchymal Stromal Cells”ĪTM is a serine/threonine kinase that is activated upon exposure to double strand DNA breaks, such as those induced by ionizing radiation, to phosphorylate downstream targets and regulate the cell cycle. My current research concerns analysis of 5hmC profiles from liquid biopsies from colorectal and head and neck cancer, utilizing methods of dimensionality reduction (PCA, tSNE) to compare the efficacy of 5hmC as a cancer biomarker between gDNA and cfDNA, and between gene bodies and enhancer regions, while also applying machine learning algorithms, such as elastic net regularization, to predict the genes and/or enhancers which are most indicative of cancer status, and analyzing the pathways employed by these genes for the development of novel targeted therapies. 5-hydroxymethylcytosine, or “5hmC,” has recently been discovered as a promising biomarker for epigenetic analysis in tandem with a liquid biopsy approach to correlate closely with disease state and tissue of origin. The evolution of liquid biopsies has combined with the development of next-generation sequencing (NGS), as well as recent biochemical methods such as “nano-hmC-seal,” to facilitate high-throughput analysis of both the genome and epigenome of a patient’s tumor. Recently, methods for tumor biopsies have evolved to “liquid,” or blood-based biopsies, which assess circulating cell-free (cf) DNA in a manner that is minimally invasive, cost effective and highly sensitive in assessing cancer subtype and stage. In targeted cancer therapy, the assessment of biomarkers that are specific to each cancer subtype and tissue of origin represents a crucial component of the accurate prognosis, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer. “ 5-Hydroxymethylcytosine Profiles in Cancer – High-Throughput Epigenetics Applied Toward Liquid Biopsies & Personalized Medicine“ During the second summer in the program, Beckman Scholars present the results of their work as posters or platform presentations. Beckman Scholars must be US citizens or permanent residents.Īll Beckman Scholars are required to attend the Beckman Scholars Symposium sponsored by the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation, held annually at the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Center of the National Academies of Sciences and Engineering in Irvine, California in early August. The program provides a total award of $21,000, as follows: Summer fellowships ($6800 each summer)įull-time commitment is required during the summers you may not take courses nor can you hold another paying job. The Beckman Scholars Program is aimed towards current Second-year students in the College, or Third-years who commit to working in his/her mentor’s lab for two full summers. In addition to working in the laboratory of a UChicago mentor you will meet regularly with other undergraduate researchers on campus to develop judgment, insight and critical thinking skills. This program is meant to provide students in the College the best opportunity to develop the skills that will promote their success during graduate and post-graduate training and begin building tools for independence and leadership. Then, the Beckman Scholars Program (funded by the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation) in Molecular Sciences might just be what you’re looking for. Do you do research in a faculty lab here at UChicago? Do you want to do research in faculty lab here? How would you like to be in a program designed to maximize your research experience?
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