Chris joined the lab last year as a PhD student. He is interested in basic and translational research pertaining to oral cancer. Despite being one of the most commonly occurring cancer types in Canada, the survival rate for this disease has shown little improvement for several years.
Early detection is critical for improving long-term outcomes for oral cancer Chris’ work focuses on examining exosomes, small vesicles secreted by most cell types that contain protein and RNA and can be used in inter-cellular communication. MicroRNAs are a common molecule packaged into and excluded from cells by exosomes. Interestingly, cancer cells are known to secrete different microRNAs via exosomes than healthy cells. This means that microRNA expression profiles obtained from exosomes may be useful for delineating different disease states for oral cancer and other cancer types. As it emerges that exosomes play a key role in driving malignant processes, these small molecules may also be attractive as targets for novel drugs that could improve patient outcomes.
Chris is currently resolving differences in microRNA expression signatures in exosomes depending on healthy, precancerous, and cancerous states. He is undertaking this work for both patient samples and in cell model systems. His interesting findings are already the subject of multiple presentations and we are excited to see what he discovers moving forward.
Welcome Chris!
