NCI Cancer Education Program Class of 2014

Aditya Barve

University of Louisville graduate
Faculty Mentor: David W. Hein, PhD
Research Project: Hepatocarcinogenic effects of 4,4 methylenedianiline (MDA) and obesogenic dietary components

Danielle C. Berea

University of Louisville medical student
Faculty Mentor: Carrie Lenneman, MD
Research Project: PACE: Examination of physical activity during chemotherapy

Addison Bray

University of Louisville undergraduate
Faculty Mentor: Sham Kakar, PhD
Research Project: Combination of withaferin A and cisplatin eliminates ovarian cancer stem cells

Thomas Brenzel

University of Louisville undergraduate
Faculty Mentor: Robert C.G. Martin, MD, PhD
Research Project: A proposed treatment algorithm for locally advanced unresectable pancreatic adenocarcinoma

Adrienne M. Bushau

University of Louisville undergraduate
Faculty Mentor: Juliane I. Beier, PhD
Research Project: Mechanistic insight into vinyl chloride-induced liver injury

Cameron S. Conway

University of Louisville undergraduate
Faculty Mentor: Leah Siskind, PhD
Research Project: Development of a shRNA library for high-throughput screening of sphingolipids in tumorigenesis

Christine Dolin

University of Louisville undergraduate
Faculty Mentor: Gavin E. Arteel, PhD
Research Project: The hepatic “matrisome” responds dynamically to stress: Novel characterization of the ECM proteosome

Harry Gao

University of Chicago undergraduate
Faculty Mentor: Sam Zhou, PhD
Research Project: Variability of Losartan as a combination therapy with oncolytic adenovirus

Harold B. Ghooray

University of Louisville graduate
Faculty Mentor: Shirish Barve, PhD
Research Project: Inhibition of S-adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase (SAHH) induces Fas ligand gene expression and apoptotic death in leukemic T lymphocytes

Mary E. Hatch

University of Louisville medical student
Faculty Mentor: Nichola Garbett, PhD
Research Project: Calorimetry of the plasma proteome in patients with ovarian cancer

Kendall Huddleston

University of Kentucky undergraduate
Faculty Mentor: Ramesh Gupta, PhD
Research Project: Biomarker significance of exosomes in the initiation and progression of breast cancer

Jaison John

University of Louisville graduate
Faculty Mentor: Chi Li, PhD
Research Project: The role of carbon chain and carbonyl group in AHL-induced caspace-9-dependent apoptosis

Alyssa Laun

University of Louisville graduate
Faculty Mentor: Zhao-hui Song, PhD
Research Project: Cannabigerol modulates the efficacy of cannabinoids on CB2 receptor

Michael Mannen

University of Louisville undergraduate
Faculty Mentor: Geoffrey Clark, PhD
Research Project: Interaction of RIT and NORE1A in lung cancer

Sarah Mudra

Wheaton College undergraduate
Faculty Mentor: Elizabeth Riley, MD
Research Project: Breast cancer diagnosed through the mobile mammography van in Jefferson County, KY

Alex Myers

University of Louisville undergraduate
Faculty Mentor: Susan Galandiuk, MD
Research Project: Identification on internal reference microRNA from the plasma of multiple cancer types

Bailey A. Nelson

Centre College graduate
Faculty Mentor: Nobuyuki Matoba, PhD
Research Project: An investigation of therapeutic potential of plant-made cholera toxin B subunit, an orally active anti-inflammatory protein in a mouse model of acute cholitis

Conor O’Neill

University of Kentucky undergraduate
Faculty Mentor: Jason Chesney, MD, PhD
Research Project: Inhibition of PFKFB3 and BRAFV600E may be an effective treatment for metastatic melanoma

Thomas A. Packer, Jr.

University of Louisville undergraduate
Faculty Mentor: Sandra Sephton, PhD
Research Project: Circadian disruption: distress and sleep quality in breast cancer patients

Deepa P. Patel

University of Louisville medical student
Faculty Mentor: Kelly McMasters, MD, PhD
Research Project: Inhibition of melanoma metastases by targeting regulator of G protein signaling 2 (RGS2)

David R. Patterson

University of Louisville medical student
Faculty Mentor: Carolyn Klinge, PhD
Research Project: Isolating miRNAs and their mRNA targets in lung adenocarcinoma tumors versus normal adjacent lung tissue

Dillon S. Pender

University of Louisville medical student
Faculty Mentor: Lacey McNally, PhD
Research Project: Development of theranostic mesoporous silica nanoparticles for pancreatic cancer

Eric C. Riedinger

University of Louisville medical student
Faculty Mentor: Jorge Gomez Gutierrez, PhD
Research Project: Developing an immunocompetent mouse lung cancer model for the evaluation of virotherapy effectiveness

Henry L. Roberts

University of Louisville undergraduate
Faculty Mentor: Susan Galandiuk, MD
Research Project: Plasma-based microRNA panel specific for colorectal neoplasia

Angelica Ronke-Hervey

Indiana University undergraduate
Faculty Mentor: La Creis R. Kidd, PhD
Research Project: Impact of quercetin on miR-25 and cellular behavior in prostate cancer cell lines

Tejas Sangoi

Saint Louis University undergraduate
Faculty Mentor: Brian Ceresa, PhD
Research Project: Analysis of mutant epidermal growth factor receptor trafficking and signaling in lung cancer cells

Lee B. Sims

University of Louisville undergraduate
Faculty Mentor: Jill Steinbach, PhD
Research Project: Effects of nanoparticle morphology and surface modification on tumor penetration and distribution

Amy Song

Drexel University undergraduate
Faculty Mentor: Levi Beverly, PhD
Research Project: The role of the BH-4 domain in dictating the oncogenic potency of BCLxl

Travis P. Spaulding

University of Louisville medical student
Faculty Mentor: Robert C.G. Martin, MD, PhD
Research Project: Predicting adverse events in patients undergoing hepatectomy – validation of preoperative nomogram and risk score

James Stewart

Western Kentucky University undergraduate
Faculty Mentor: J. Christopher States, PhD
Research Project: Recombinant expression of codon-optimized ANAPC2 and ANAPC11

Christopher J. Ullum

University of Kentucky undergraduate
Faculty Mentor: Lacey McNally, PhD
Research Project: Evaluation of coated gold nanoparticles targeted with Syndecan-1 for detection of pancreatic adenocarcinoma

Adrienne Voelker

University of Notre Dame undergraduate
Faculty Mentor: Brian Ceresa, PhD
Research Project: Modulating epidermal growth factor receptors via small targeting peptides

Govind Warrier

University of Louisville medical student
Faculty Mentor: Jason Chesney, MD, PhD
Research Project: Targeting cytosolic aspartate aminotransferase in human pancreatic and lung carcinoma using a novel inhibitor in vitro

Ariel Washington

University of Louisville graduate
Faculty Mentor: Karen Kayser, PhD
Research Project: Is there a relationship between patient worry and preferences for follow-up care after curative treatment for lung cancer?

Lindsey Wattley

Massachusetts Institute of Technology undergraduate
Faculty Mentor: Sucheta Telang, MD
Research Project: Examination of the effects of small molecular inhibition of PKFFB4 on the cell cycle

Dexter W. Weeks

University of Louisville medical student
Faculty Mentor: Levi Beverly, PhD
Research Project: Expression and analysis of GST-tagged UBAR5 protein