Supervisor:
Dr. Barbara Karten
Program of Study:
MSc, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Project Title:
The Role of the Cholesterol Transporter, STARD3 in Breast Cancer
Scholarships and/or Awards:
- 2023 Canada Graduate Scholarships-Master’s (CGS-M)
- 2023 Nova Scotia Graduate Scholarship-Master’s (NSGS-M)
- 2022 Ron Hayes & Dixie Pelluet Bursary in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
- 2021 NSERC Undergraduate Summer Research Award (USRA)
- 2019 Hector McInnes Memorial Scholarship
- 2018 Nova Scotia Freemasons Bursary
- 2018 Sackville Community Award
Lay Research Summary:
Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer type for women in Nova Scotia, and remains the second leading cause of cancer deaths across Canada. Due to the significantly high incidence rate amongst Nova Scotia residents, it is crucial that a strong and collaborative community of breast cancer researchers are established within this highly affected sector. Cholesterol is distributed throughout the cell by an interconnected system of membranes called endosomes, which also plays key roles in cell signaling, growth, and function. Rapidly growing cancer cells hijack this trafficking system as they require high levels of cholesterol for their development, survival, progression, and metastasis. Such connections have been found in breast cancer, but the mechanisms remain largely unclear. The goal for this project is to investigate the role of endosomal transporters in breast cancer, focusing on StARrelated lipid transfer domain3 (STARD3) and Niemann-Pick Type C1 protein (NPC1). Inhibition or depletion of STARD3 activity in breast cancer cells shows reduced growth, therefore STARD3 has been proposed as a therapeutic target. Our labs preliminary results support these findings but show increased cell proliferation upon co-depletion of STARRD3 and NPC1. At a fundamental level, my findings will yield insight into the connection between endosomal cholesterol trafficking and breast cancer characteristics. Additionally, this investigation will determine the suitability of STARD3 as a therapeutic cancer target.
Career Aspirations:
My main interest is biomedical research with a focus on understanding human diseases at the molecular level to develop targeted therapeutics. To pursue this goal, I intend to complete a PhD and a post-doctoral fellowship to further expand our current knowledge of the molecular processes contributing to cancer cell growth.
Location:
Dalhousie University
Publications:
Jonathan Tjong, Stefan Pendlmayr, Jena Barter, Julie Chen, Geoffrey N. Maksym, T. Alexander Quinn and John P. Frampton*. (2023). Cell-Contact-Mediated Assembly of Contractile Airway Smooth Muscle Rings. Biomedical Materials, 18(2).