NCI Cancer Education Program Class of 2016
Emma Adkins
University of Kentucky undergraduate
Faculty Mentor: Haribabu Boddului, PhD
Research Project: Crystalline Silica Mediated Inflammation: Role of Mast Cells
Kaitlyn Adkisson
Western Kentucky University undergraduate
Faculty Mentor: Elizabeth Cash, PhD
Research Project:Nutritive Intake Relates to Activated Cytotoxic T Cells in Lung Cancer Patients
Saira Ahmed
University of Louisville Dental Student
Faculty Mentor: Richard Lamont, PhD
Research Project: Detecting the Presence of Porphyromonas gingivalis in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Yomna Amer
University of Louisville undergraduate
Faculty Mentor: Brian Clem, PhD
Research Project: The Effect of Reactivation of PRb in the Metabolism of Cancer Cells
Kyle Bilyeu
University of Louisville undergraduate
Faculty Mentor: Chi Li, PhD
Research Project: Sensitizing Pancreatic Cancer Cells to Chemotherapeutics by Modulating Intracellular Iron Homeostasis
Christian Bradley
Howard University graduate
Faculty Mentor: La Creis, Kidd, PhD, MPH
Research Project: Impact of High Order Interactions Between Inflammatory and Immune Response Genes in Prostate Cancer Among Men of African Descent
Charles (Kyle) Castaneda
University of Louisville undergraduate
Faculty Mentor: Brian Clem, PhD
Research Project: Effect of Pharmacological Inhibition of Phosphoserine Aminotransferase (PSAT1) on Metastatic Breast Cancer Motility
Phillip Chuong
University of Louisville undergraduate
Faculty Mentor: Lacey McNally, PhD
Research Project: Detection of Pancreatic Cancer Using a Modified Gelatin Nanocontrasting Agent
Kayla Feagins
University of Louisville undergraduate
Faculty Mentor: Susan Galandiuk, MD
Research Project: Circulating Plasma MicroRNA in Colorectal Neoplasia: A New Role in Assessing Response to Therapy
Wesley Field
University of Louisville medical student
Faculty Mentor: Robert C.G. Martin, MD, PhD
Research Project: Quality of Life Assessment for Patients Undergoing Irreversible Electroporation for Treatment of Locally Advanced Pancreatic Cancer
Olivia Fields
University of Louisville undergraduate
Faculty Mentor: Sandra Sephton, PhD
Research Project: Rest-activity Rhythms and Quality of Life in Lung Cancer Patients
Zackary Fitzsimonds
Middle Tennessee State University graduate
Faculty Mentor: Richard Lamont, PhD
Research Project: Differential Regulation of Long-non coding RNAs by Poryphoromonas gingivalis in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Benjamin Fouts
Earlham College undergraduate
Faculty Mentor: Lacey McNally, PhD
Research Project: Characterization of acidic pH functionalized mesoporous silica nanoparticles for ovarian cancer diagnostics
Madison Furnish
University of Louisville undergraduate
Faculty Mentor: David Hein, PhD
Research Project: Investigation of CRISPR/Cas9 Arylamine N-Acetyltransferase 1 Knockouts in MDA-MB-231 Cell Lines via Anoikis and Invasion Assays
Ashley Gleaton
Cornell University undergraduate
Faculty Mentor: Geoffrey Clark, PhD
Research Project: Functional Interaction Between NORE1A and Mutationally Activated RIT(Q79) Represses Malignant Transformation in Lung Cancer
Zahara Gully
University of Louisville undergraduate
Faculty Mentor: Demetra Antimisiaris, PharmD
Research Project: Tamoxifen: A Study in Pharmacovigilance
Adayshia Haddock-Pitt
Spelman College undergraduate
Faculty Mentor:Barbara Polivka, PhD
Research Project: Effectiveness of Reducing Home VOC Measurements using One Inch Carbon Furnace Filters
Adaline Heitz
University of Louisville undergraduate
Faculty Mentor: Kathy Baumgartner , PhD
Research Project: Healthy Lifestyle Impact on Breast Cancer Specific and All-Cause Mortality
Parker Howard
University of Louisville undergraduate
Faculty Mentor: Paula Bates, PhD
Research Project: Investigating HGPRT as a Component of an AS1411 Prodrug Mechanism
Maya Huss
University of Louisville undergraduate
Faculty Mentor: Jill Steinbach-Rankins, PhD
Research Project: Transport and Distribution of Stealth and Cell Penetrating Nanoparticles in Cervical Cancer Tissue Mimics
Kevin Jacob
University of Louisville undergraduate
Faculty Mentor: Robert C.G. Martin, MD, PhD
Research Project: Identification of Aberrant Wnt/ß-catenin Signaling on Cancer Stem Cell Activation in Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Corey James Ketchem
University of Louisville medical student
Faculty Mentor: Levi Beverly, PhD
Research Project: Novel Drug Combinations Sensitize Leukemia Cells to a Bcl-2 Inhibitor
Josephine Kim
University of Kentucky undergraduate
Faculty Mentor: Jun Yan, MD, PhD
Research Project: Combining Natural Compound ß-glucan with Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy to Promote Antitumor Immunity
Tiana Martin
Spelman College undergraduate
Faculty Mentor: La Creis Kidd, PhD, MPH
Research Project: The Impact of Complex Interactions of Chemokine Sequence Variants on Prostate Cancer Risk among men of African Descent
Delvon Mattingly
University of Louisville graduate
Faculty Mentor: Richard Baumgartner, PhD
Research Project: Health Behaviors and Breast Cancer Risk in Non-Hispanic White & Hispanic Women
Grant McKenzie
University of Louisville medical student
Faculty Mentor: Robert C.G. Martin, MD, PhD
Research Project: Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment for Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgical Patients – A Systematic Review
Megan Mercer
University of Louisville medical student
Faculty Mentor: Nicholas Ajkay, MD
Research Project: Estimated Percentage of Breast Volume Excision and Its Relationship with Quality of Life and Satisfaction After Breast Conservation Therapy for Breast Cancer
Alex Palumbo
University of Louisville medical student
Faculty Mentor: Eleanor Lederer, MD
Research Project: KCC Expression and Function May Contribute to Human Cancer Cell Motility
Sophia Sears
Goshen College undergraduate
Faculty Mentor: Jonathan Freedman, PhD
Research Project: Effects of therapeutic compounds on cadmium-induced prostate cancer
Seth Sereff
University of Louisville undergraduate
Faculty Mentor: Paula Bates, PhD
Research Project: Elucidating the Mechanism of XB05 in Malignant Cells
Nazeer Shaikh
University of Louisville medical student
Faculty Mentor: Neal Dunlap, MD
Research Project: A Prospective Study of Nasociliary Function and Rhinosinusitis Symptomatology in Patients with Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Receiving Intensity Modulated External Beam Radiotherapy: Preliminary Results
Mary Ann Smith
Mississippi State University undergraduate
Faculty Mentor: Joshua Hood, MD, PhD
Research Project: Paracrine Induction of Macrophages by Melanoma Exosomes
Paula Stepp
Western Kentucky University undergraduate
Faculty Mentor: Mariusz Ratajczak, MD, PhD
Research Project: Imprinting Status of Paternally Imprinted Tandem Genes and their Expression in Ovarian Carcinoma Cell Lines
Segen Tella
University of Louisville undergraduate
Faculty Mentor:Donald Miller, MD, PhD
Research Project: The Effect of G-quadruplex Oligonucleotides Sequences Targeting cMYC, SOX2 and HTERT in Melanoma Cell Lines
Matthew Ullum
University of Kentucky undergraduate
Faculty Mentors: Goetz Kloecker, MD and Jun Yan, MD, PhD
Research Project: Decrease of MDSCs by Oral ß-glucan in Lung Cancer Patients