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.
Lecia Robinson, PhD
Assistant Professor, Tuskegee UniversityPIs: 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
Undergraduate Researcher, Bucknell, REU studentMentors: 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
Undergraduate Researcher, Virginia Tech, REU studentMentors: 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
Undergraduate Researcher, REU studentMentors: Sarah Buchanan, Michelle Barbeau
PIs: Matt Lazzara
Initiative One - 2024: Streamlining Methuosis Detection via Advanced Image Analysis
Riko Mukoyama
Undergraduate Researcher, Smith College, REU studentMentors: Kristen Naegle
PIs: Kristen Naegle
Initiative One - 2024: The Interplay of EGF Stimulation and Metabolism on Vacuolization in EGFR amplified Glioblastoma
Iylan Howson
Undergraduate Researcher, NC A&T State University, REU studentMentors: Sepideh Dolatshahi
PIs: Sepideh Dolatshahi
Initiative One - 2024: Hypoxia induces Golgi fragmentation in melanoma
Sarah Groves
Postdoctoral fellow in Biomedical EngineeringInitiative 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
Faculty, Clark Atlanta UniversityPIs: 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
SASCO Center Visiting Graduate Student from Clark Atlanta UniversityInitiative 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
Undergraduate Researcher, Stonybrook, SURP StudentMentors: Catalina Alvarez
PIs: Todd Stukenberg, Kevin Janes
Initiative One - 2023: A new pipeline obtains quantitative data more efficiently
Leanne Mahraj
Undergraduate Researcher, UVa SRIP StudentPIs: Jason Papin
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
Undergraduate Researcher, Johns HopkinsMentors: Sarah Buchanan, Micelle Barbeau
PIs: Matthew Lazzara
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
Harrison Distinguished Teaching Professor of Biomedical Engineering
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