As a practicing medical oncologist specializing in gastrointestinal (GI) cancer, understanding the specific genetic mutations, fusions, rearrangements, and other alterations driving the cancer can potentially lead to targeted treatments as alternatives to traditional chemotherapy. During my oncology fellowship training, I was fortunate to join Professor Craig Duvall’s lab, which specialized in small interfering RNA (siRNA) conjugates. These chemically modified siRNAs enable molecular targeting and degradation of matching mRNA inside cells. Building on the Duvall lab’s albumin-binding siRNA conjugate system, which “hitchhikes” on albumin in the bloodstream to circulate longer and accumulate in tumors, one focus of my work has been to improve the ability of these siRNA conjugates to escape endosomal compartments and reach their mRNA targets more quickly and efficiently.
Over the years, I have used VINSE equipment and expertise in the synthesis and characterization of various materials for drug delivery, from the siRNA-albumin nanocomplexes mentioned above to lipid nanoparticles developed in a collaboration to treat liver diseases. I also look forward to VINSE NanoDay each year, which offers a great opportunity to share and learn about related research, and I’ve enjoyed serving as a poster session judge as well.
As I transition into a faculty role, I am eager to pursue new research directions while maintaining my focus on targeted therapies in GI cancers. Ultimately, I aim for these efforts to lead to new tumor-specific and molecularly targeted treatments for GI cancers that can be sequenced or combined with existing therapies to achieve more durable responses while reducing adverse effects.
Outside of the lab, I stay active as a musician, playing violin with the Nashville Concerto Orchestra and various informal chamber music groups, as well as composing classical pieces. I especially enjoy performing works by local composers and songwriters and discovering compositions by lesser-known classical composers. I also like creating traditional and digital art, baking, gardening, and visiting regional museums and parks with my family.