NCI Cancer Education Program Class of 2015

Marisa Bohn

University of Cincinnati undergraduate
Faculty Mentor: Levi Beverly, PhD
Research Project: Optimizing IHC for cisplatin treated tissue

Logan Bond

Auburn University graduate
Faculty Mentor: Robert C.G. Martin, MD, PhD
Research Project: Intra-operative navigation of a three-dimensional needle localization system for precision of irreversible electroporation needles in locally advanced pancreatic cancer

Andrew Bratton

University of Louisville undergraduate
Faculty Mentor: Jason Chesney, MD, PhD
Research Project: Small molecule inhibition of choline kinase-α decreases proliferation of non-small cell lung cancer

Phillip Burkhardt

Clemson University undergraduate
Faculty Mentor: John Eaton, PhD
Research Project: Radioprotective effects of ferritin

Aneesha Carter

University of Louisville undergraduate
Faculty Mentor: Jesse Roman, MD
Research Project: The interplay between aging and lung inflammation / Remodeling in lung cancer progression

Maggie Chang

University of Louisville undergraduate
Faculty Mentor: David Hein, PhD
Research Project: Effect of arylamine N-acetyltransferase 1 knockout by CRISPR/Cas 9 on doubling time in MDA-MB-231, MCF-7, & ZR-75-1 breast cancer cell lines

Jenna Chong

Cornell University undergraduate
Faculty Mentor: Sham Kakar, PhD
Research Project: Withaferin A in combination with cisplatin suppresses mucin family proteins in epithelial ovarian cancer cells

Sarah Duff

University of Louisville medical student
Faculty Mentor: Brian Clem, PhD
Research Project: Novel PSAT1 small molecule inhibitors decrease breast cancer cell proliferation and synergize with anti-estrogen therapies in endocrine resistant cells

Rakesh Gadde

University of Louisville dental student
Faculty Mentor: Richard Lamont, PhD
Research Project: Porphyromonas gingivalis induction of EMT transcriptional factors in gingival epithelial cells

Thomas Gordon III

University of Louisville undergraduate
Faculty Mentor: David Samuelson, PhD
Research Project: A CRISPR/Cas9 system to edit rat Mcs1b candidate causal variants

Hailey Griffey

University of Louisville undergraduate
Faculty Mentor: Brian Ceresa, PhD
Research Project: The effects of ligand treatment on the dimerization of EGFR-GFP and ErbB3-dsRED in Chinese hamster ovary cells

Justin Heidel

University of Louisville undergraduate
Faculty Mentor: Jill Steinbach, PhD
Research Project: Design and synthesis of polymer blend electrospun fibers for sustained release of siRNA to the female reproductive tract

Erica Holland

University of Louisville undergraduate
Faculty Mentor: Rebecca Redman, MD
Research Project: Perceived survivorship needs in patients with human papillomavirus (HPV)-positive and (HPV)-negative head and neck cancer

Brenna Kaelin

University of Louisville undergraduate
Faculty Mentor: Juliane Beier, PhD
Research Project: Mechanistic insight into vinyl chloride-induced liver injury: Role of dietary fatty acids

Nicholas Kemper

University of Louisville undergraduate
Faculty Mentor: Kelly McMasters, MD, PhD
Research Project: I3C decreases cyclin E expression and represses cancer cell growth

Alexandra Kiefer

University of Louisville medical student
Faculty Mentor: Leah Siskind, PhD
Research Project: Role of sphingosine kinase 1 and 2 in MYC-induced leukemogenesis

Alyssa Laun

University of Louisville graduate
Faculty Mentor: Joe Song, PhD
Research Project: Cannabigerol modulates the efficacy of anandamide on the CB2 cannabinoid receptor

Christina Leonhardt-Albert

University of Louisville graduate
Faculty Mentor: Sandra Sephton, PhD
Research Project: Circadian rhythms and diurnal profiles of salivary alpha amylase in women with breast cancer

Maya McFrazier

University of Louisville undergraduate
Faculty Mentor: David Scott, PhD
Research Project: Nucleoside diphosphate kinase-dependent suppression of apoptosis in esophageal cancer cells by the oral pathogen Porphyromonas gingivalis

Matthew Neal

University of Louisville medical student
Faculty Mentor: Lacey McNally, PhD
Research Project: Small dual surfactant mesoporous silica nanoparticles demonstrate acidic pH specificity

Bailey Nelson

University of Louisville medical student
Faculty Mentor: Susan Galandiak, MD
Research Project: Genetic polymorphisms in 5-FU related enzymes predict complete pathologic response in rectal cancer

Thomas Noel

University of Louisville medical student
Faculty Mentor: Joshua Hood, MD, PhD
Research Project: Development of immunomodulatory exosomal nanocarriers to treat melanoma

Rachel O'Connor

University of Louisville undergraduate
Faculty Mentor: Robert C.G. Martin, MD, PhD
Research Project: A multi-organ study using microwave ablation: Comparison of Solero system to the Sulis VpMTA and the NeuWave Certus 140 system

Chukwuka Okafor

University of Louisville dental student
Faculty Mentor: Doug Darling, PhD
Research Project: Regulation of oncogenic ZEB1 gene expression by cigarette smoke components

Abbigail Pace

Western Kentucky University undergraduate
Faculty Mentor: Liz Cash, PhD
Research Project: Distress, anxiety, depressive symptoms and malnutrition biomarkers on head and neck cancer progression and overall survival

Thomas Packer, Jr.

University of Louisville undergraduate
Faculty Mentor: LaCreis Kidd, PhD
Research Project: Impact of quercetin on miR-21, cell proliferation and migration of metastatic and non-metastatic prostate cancer cell lines

Rigoberto Perez-Hernandez

Cornell University undergraduate
Faculty Mentor: Jorge Gomez-Gutierrez, PhD
Research Project: Temozolomide enhances breast cancer virotherapy regardless of estrogen receptor status

Henry Roberts

University of Louisville medical student
Faculty Mentor: Susan Galandiak, MD
Research Project: Can cancer cell lines clarify molecular mechanisms of hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer?

Cody Sheffield

Western Kentucky University graduate
Faculty Mentor: Levi Beverly, PhD
Research Project: Determining whether SUMO interacts with ubiquilin

John Simmons

University of Louisville undergraduate
Faculty Mentor: Richard C.G. Martin, MD, PhD
Research Project: Wide versus narrow margins after partial hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma

Lee Sims

University of Louisville undergraduate
Faculty Mentor: Jill Steinbach, PhD
Research Project: Effect of hybrid surface-modified nanoparticles on knockdown of HPV 18 E6 in vitro

Alexander Sobolev

Washington University undergraduate
Faculty Mentor: Lacey McNally, PhD
Research Project: pH specific dual targeting of colloidal mesoporous silica nanoparticles for pancreatic adenocarcinomas

Vanessa States

University of Louisville medical student
Faculty Mentor: Susan Galandiak, MD
Research Project: Development of a plasma miRNA panel in detecting response to treatment of colorectal adenoma & colorectal cancer

Desmond Stewart

University of Louisville medical student
Faculty Mentor: Geoff Clark, PhD
Research Project: The role of DAB2IP in RASSF-mediated tumor suppression

Nichole Stivers

University of Louisville medical student
Faculty Mentor: Chi Li, PhD
Research Project: Paraoxonase-2 mediates a homoserine lactone-induced apoptosis in breast cancer cells

Karen Udoh

University of Louisville undergraduate
Faculty Mentor: J. Christopher States, PhD
Research Project: Inhibiting the anaphase-promoting complex/cyclosome: An innovative approach for cancer chemotherapy

Jingjing Xiao

Yale University undergraduate
Faculty Mentor: Kelly McMasters, MD, PhD
Research Project: Targeting ATP-binding cassette transporter (ABCB5) in BRAF inhibitor resistant melanoma

Heegook Yeo

University of Louisville undergraduate
Faculty Mentor: Juliane Beier, PhD
Research Project: Exploring energy metabolism changes in vinyl chloride induced non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)