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.
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Rusty Hawes
Graduate student in Biomedical EngineeringInitiative Three - 2025: Second Video in the Tutorial Series for Clinicians and Clinical Scientists
Rusty Hawes will develop the second of three videos designed to introduce clinicians to systems concepts and approaches.
Christopher Bolden, PhD
Assistant Professor of Cancer Biology, Louisiana Cancer Center, Xavier University of LouisianaPIs: Matthew Lazzara
Initiative Two - 2025: Evaluating SorLA as a Therapeutic Target in Glioblastoma Using a 3D In Vitro BBB System
Olga Buhlak
SASCO REU studentMentors: Will Shao
PIs: Jason Papin
Initiative One - 2025: Quantifying mitochondrial morphology and topology in colorectal cancer
A project under the SASCO umbrella focusing on studying the effect, and ultimately mechanism by which mitochondrial morphology and topology influences the distribution of proteins within the cell. My role in the project is to work with mitochondrial immunofluorescence data in order to develop a meaningful way to quantitatively describe mitochondrial morphology and topology, ultimately aiming to develop a set of features that can serve as a mitochondrial “fingerprint” for cell lines with distinct mitochondrial networks.
George Marshall
SASCO REU studentPIs: B.J. Purow and Matt Lazarra
Initiative One - 2025: Treatment of U251 Glioblastoma (GBM) Cells with Fluoxetine and Chloroquine
Treating glioblastoma cells with Prozac and chloroquine, then measuring effect on cell count.
Rose Olumuyide
SASCO REU studentMentors: Catalina Alvarez and Monse Gerado
PIs: Kevin Janes
Initiative One - 2025: Investigating the Feedback loop between FOXM1 and Cyclin F in Breast Epithelial Cells
My project will investigate how CCNF regulates FOXM1 activation throughout the cell cycle by combining protein measurements with transcriptional snapshots and computational modeling. First, I’ll synchronize cells at key cycle phases and directly quantify Foxm1 and Cyclin F protein levels at each stage. Next, I’ll use RNA-seq data from those synchronized cultures—and from breast cancer samples—to infer stage-specific FOXM1 transcriptional activity. Finally, I’ll map those activity profiles onto a model to reveal how CCNF-driven timing shapes FOXM1 dynamics and downstream regulatory programs.
Calum Dudgeon
REU studentMentors: Jeffrey Hsu
PIs: Kevin Janes
Initiative One - 2025: An Improved Image Processing and Quality Assurance Pipeline for Multiplexed Images of Premalignant Breast Tissue.
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, worked in the Kashatus Project 2 Lab.
Joseph Guillen
Undergraduate Researcher, Bucknell, REU studentMentors: Sarah Groves, Catalina Alvarez
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 developed the first of three videos designed to introduce clinicians to systems concepts and approaches.
- 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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