Alexandra Nail, PhD, Awarded NIH K99/R00 Pathway to Independence Award

Congratulations to Dr. Alexandra Nail on receiving the prestigious NIH K99/R00 Pathway to Independence Award from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS). This highly competitive award provides Dr. Nail with the opportunity to complete 1-2 years of mentored career development, after which she will transition into a faculty position.
Title: Unraveling the molecular link between heavy metal exposure and triple negative breast cancer
Impact Statement: Disruption of DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair promotes triple negative breast cancer (TNBC). The overarching goal of this study is to determine the molecular mechanisms responsible for disruption of DSB repair elicited by cadmium (Cd) exposure to promote TNBC. These studies will elucidate a fundamental mechanism not currently recognized that can explain TNBC disparities.