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Gloria Brar (MCB Major)
"Examining Subcellular Localization of Cell Cycle Components to Determine a Better Breast Cancer Treatment"
Sponsor: Professor Gary Firestone, Molecular & Cell Biology
Project Description
Indole-3-Carbinol (I3C) is a natural compound found in Brassica vegetables, such as broccoli and cabbage; this compound has been shown to arrest the growth of breast cancer cells in a mechanism that seems to involve several critical cell cycle proteins. Gloria's Molecular & Cell Biology Senior Honors Thesis project will investigate the changes in subcellular localization of these proteins. This data will help characterize the mechanism of I3C-induced breast cancer cell growth arrest and will be useful in evaluating the mechanisms and therapeutic promise of certain I3C derivatives. In addition, Gloria's project will help determine the potential therapeutic value of a combinatorial breast cancer treatment using I3C along with tamoxifen, the current breast cancer treatment of choice. This combinatorial treatment shows great promise, since I3C and tamoxifen together have been found to arrest breast cancer cell growth more effectively than either treatment alone.
Scholar's Photo
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| Gloria (far right) and her associates in Professor Firestone's campus lab this past summer. From left to right: Hanh, Gloria's graduate student mentor; Professor Gary Firestone, the faculty mentor; and Elsa, a labmate. |
Scholar's Journal
I spent pretty much the whole summer out here at Berkeley working in the lab. The hours were pretty long (55-60 hours per week), but surprisingly I didn't mind that much because I was so excited to be able to be so productive. I've worked in the Firestone lab for about a year and a half now, but it's always been during the year so that I'd have to balance classes with lab work. It's been so refreshing (and effective!) to just be able to concentrate on the research and be completely focused.
The other bonus of working in the lab this summer is that I've had a chance to get a lot closer to all the other lab members. There's something about spending all day every day together in a semi-cramped space that really makes people bond. Anyway, I now consider my labmates as some of my closest friends and I have a good time just being around them everyday in the lab. Hanh, Jocelyn, Mere, Elsa, Maria, Lucy, Jennifer, Vaishu, Anita, Amy, Bridget, Nicky, Yi, Kathleen, Rishi, Urmi, Mario and even Gary :) - You guys are great!!!
Although I did spend the vast majority of my summer toiling away at the lab bench, I did get a chance to get out of Berkeley for a little while. I was thrilled to be able to go with some other lab members out to the Gordon Research Conference on Hormone Action in New Hampshire. Being my first of hopefully many research conferences, I learned a whole lot. I had a great time co-presenting a poster with Hanh and I truly enjoyed the interesting talks and other posters. It was really amazing to be able to meet so many people who were doing such fantastic research. I was particularly inspired by the large number of female professors and presenters. I think women actually outnumbered men. It was especially inspiring that many of the women were also able to juggle a family with the crazy life of a researcher, giving me much more confidence in the possibility of actually having a family life someday despite my career ambitions.
Although I learned a tremendous amount at the conference, not all of our time was spent on academic matters. Hanh, Elsa, and I were able to go on some gorgeous hikes in the area and have a beautiful canooing adventure. All in all, it was an unforgettable experience.
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