Dec. 29, 2016:

Members of the Big Ten Cancer Research Consortium Steering Committee recently appointed Robert Kratzke, MD, as the committee’s first chair, and Ruth O’Regan, MD, as its vice chair. Each will serve a one-year term, with Dr. O’Regan serving as chair in the subsequent year.

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Dec. 21, 2016:

Fast away the old year passes, and the Big Ten Cancer Centers are bringing 2016 to a climactic close. Their amazing and world-changing work in the fight against cancer has not only made 2016 an unforgettable and truly historic year, but it also beckons the shining dawn of a promising new year full of hope for patients and researchers. Next year’s breakthroughs have been this year’s vision, and this year’s legacy becomes next year’s inspiration. Take a moment to reflect on recent breakthroughs which embody a year to remember, in 2016’s final Across the Consortium.

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Dec. 19, 2016:

Andrea L. Kasinski, PhD

Investigator Spotlight

Andrea L. Kasinski, PhD

Educational Background: PhD, Emory University (2009), Postdoctoral Fellow, Yale University

Research Interests: My laboratory works on non-coding RNA biology and therapeutics. Specifically, we focus on identifying biologically important RNAs whose misexpression drives the tumorigenic process. We then utilize this information to design, develop, and implement RNA-based therapeutics. Specifically, evidence-based approaches are being developed to identify microRNAs that drive the process of tumorigenesis, or to identify microRNAs that are required for tumor cell maintenance or therapeutic resistance. Using this data, we then develop various strategies to alter the concentration of theses microRNAs in vivo using either small molecule inhibitors, or novel targeting approaches that deliver microRNAs in the absence of toxic delivery vehicles. Our overarching goal is to generate substantial knowledge that will lead to the clinical utility of non-coding RNAs.

Fun Facts: I have a loving and supportive husband, Scott Haymond, and two incredible step-children, Abby and Parker.

Growing up in a traditional blue-collar family, I had little knowledge on what a PhD was. A great deal of my scientific success is due to the late Dr. Dean Danner at Emory University, a fantastic mentor that recognized my strengths and recommended that I pursue my doctorate.

Originally I wanted to be a cardiac transplant surgeon; however, after I got involved in research I recognized that my passion was in research and discovery.

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