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The SASCO Outreach Core serves to promote the broad use of systems biology in cancer research beyond the University of Virginia (UVA); disseminate and increase accessibility of computational and experimental approaches developed within the SASCO Center to the cancer research enterprise; and recruit the involvement of investigators, cancer biologists, and clinicians from diverse backgrounds to enrich the research and environment of the Center. The Outreach Core has three initiatives. First, undergraduates from around the country will participate in summer research experiences in SASCO laboratories through existing outstanding summer research internship programs at the Schools of Medicine and Engineering & Applied Science. Second, we will develop a series of three 25-minute videos designed to introduce clinicians to systems concepts and approaches toward enabling stronger collaborations between clinicians and systems biologists. The videos will be piloted for effectiveness within a Clinical and Translational Science Award program that includes UVA and other health centers in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Third, the SASCO Outreach Core will enable summer scholar-in-residence positions for faculty of historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) to develop research projects in SASCO laboratories. The goal of this third aim is to both establish systems-based research projects at HBCUs and increase the visibility of systems approaches in their curricula. The Outreach Core synergizes with the Center’s Plan to Enhance Diverse Perspectives by engaging individuals from historically marginalized groups at the undergraduate to faculty levels in SASCO research themes.

Kevin 2024 outreach workshop
2024 welcome picnic 2
Lecia Robinson, PhD

Lecia Robinson, PhD

Assistant Professor, Tuskegee University

PIs: David Kashatus

Initiative Two - 2024: Exploring Mitochondrial Morphologies in Triple Negative Breast Cancer: Insights from the STRIVE Program

Lecia Robinson PhD, our second scholar-in-residence collaborator, will be working in the Kashatus Project 2 Lab.


Joseph Guillen

Joseph Guillen

Undergraduate Researcher, Bucknell, REU student
Mentors: Sarah Groves, Catalina Alverez
PIs: Todd Stukenberg, Kevin Janes

Initiative One - 2024: A Model of Mitotic Signaling Across Various Chromosomal Geometries in Eukaryotic Cells

Seth Boehringer

Seth Boehringer

Undergraduate Researcher, Virginia Tech, REU student
Mentors: Matt Lazzara
PIs: Matt Lazzara

Initiative One - 2024: Incorporation of new parameters and features to improve performance of a moving-boundary model of EGFR trafficking

Bryan Rangel Valle

Bryan Rangel Valle

Undergraduate Researcher, REU student
Mentors: Sarah Buchanan, Michelle Barbeau
PIs: Matt Lazzara

Initiative One - 2024: Streamlining Methuosis Detection via Advanced Image Analysis

Riko Mukoyama

Riko Mukoyama

Undergraduate Researcher, Smith College, REU student
Mentors: Kristen Naegle
PIs: Kristen Naegle

Initiative One - 2024: The Interplay of EGF Stimulation and Metabolism on Vacuolization in EGFR amplified Glioblastoma

Iylan Howson

Iylan Howson

Undergraduate Researcher, NC A&T State University, REU student
Mentors: Sepideh Dolatshahi
PIs: Sepideh Dolatshahi

Initiative One - 2024: Hypoxia induces Golgi fragmentation in melanoma

Sarah Groves

Sarah Groves

Postdoctoral fellow in Biomedical Engineering

Initiative Three - 2023: Video Tutorial Series for Clinicians and Clinical Scientists

Sarah Groves is developing the first of three videos designed to introduce clinicians to systems concepts and approaches.

  • Started July 1
  • Multiple meetings with Todd Stukenberg to brainstorm and outline first video
  • Met with BJ Purrow (MD/PhD Project 3) to discuss challenges/goals of working with MDs
  • Established collaborations with Cimona Hinton to provide feedback for each of the stages of the video

Cimona Hinton

Cimona Hinton

Faculty, Clark Atlanta University

PIs: Kevin Janes, Lixin Wang

Initiative Two - 2023: Our first scholar-in-residence collaborator

Our first scholar-in-residence collaborator, Cimona Hinton, PhD is featured in this UVa School of Medicine article.


Nakea Pennant

Nakea Pennant

SASCO Center Visiting Graduate Student from Clark Atlanta University

Initiative Two - 2023: Heterodimer of CXCR4 and CB2R that forms with respective receptor agonists and may prevent motility of prostate cancer cells to primary and secondary distal sites

Samuel Presman

Samuel Presman

Undergraduate Researcher, Stonybrook, SURP Student
Mentors: Catalina Alvarez
PIs: Todd Stukenberg, Kevin Janes
Samuel Presman
Initiative One - 2023: A new pipeline obtains quantitative data more efficiently

Leanne Mahraj

Leanne Mahraj

Undergraduate Researcher, UVa SRIP Student

PIs: Jason Papin
Leanne Mahraj
Initiative One - 2023: The Metabolic Effects of KRAS Mutation in Colorectal Cancer

RIPTiDe integrates transcriptomic data with a model to reveal metabolic differences between wildtype and mutated KRAS samples.


Mariah Snelson

Mariah Snelson

Undergraduate Researcher, Johns Hopkins
Mentors: Sarah Buchanan, Micelle Barbeau
PIs: Matthew Lazzara
Mariah Snelson
Initiative One - 2023: Chemo-induced Senescence in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma

Data collection techniques and image analysis for the study of glioblastoma multiforme and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma progression.


Outreach Core

Investigators

Todd Stukenberg
Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics
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Jason Papin
Harrison Distinguished Teaching Professor of Biomedical Engineering
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