Research Assistant in the Hambardzumyan Lab at Mount Sinai Hospital- Department of Oncology
Molecular research on the tumor microenvironment of brain tumors. My specific project focuses on Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG). My goal is to evaluate the role microglia play in tumor initiation and progression, and the implication of these findings on potential therapeutic targets. I am using mouse models and cell cultures to test novel therapies and optimize current treatments such as radiation therapy. Former projects include investigating the efficacy of drug/drug vehicles such as nanoparticles crossing the blood-brain barrier and targeting the tumor with specificity seen here.
DIPG/DMG Learning Hub Development
Working with leaders from across disciplines in the DIPG/DMG community including clinicians, researchers, data scientists, and advocates. The overarching goal of the project is to optimize the use of patient data to streamline matching to clinical trials and facilitate the creation of n of 1 arms for clinical trials. This platform will provide physicians with in-depth, close-to-real-time information about their patients, researchers will have a platform to share successes and obstacles in their work, and patients will have access to tailored education regarding the latest treatments and information about DIPG/DMG.
Research on the Patient-Family Experience During Discussion and Decision Making Related to Post-Mortem Brain Tumor Tissue Donation
Research into factors impacting patient families and how they make decisions regarding post-mortem donation. Information about discussions with the care team, such as the timing of the discussion, the language used, and the party initiating the discussion will be assessed. Demographic information such as race, educational background, and travel time/access to medical care will also be analyzed. The goal of the project is to find the most effective and caring protocols for post-mortem tissue donation discussion in order to empower care teams to discuss the options with their patients.
Role of Patient Health Literacy on Clinical Trial Participation in Pediatric Oncology
Building on my previous work here, it is known that patient families diagnosed with rare cancers are spending 30-40 hours on average researching treatment options outside of clinic visits. Decisions are made regarding care and participation much sooner than most families can truly understand all of the relevant information to give truly informed consent. From here, I aim to understand how to improve communication about outcomes and the purpose of clinical trials, as well as continue developing patient-centered education resources, such as Brain Tumor 101, to explain the fundamentals of tumor biology, treatment strategies, and the clinical trial process.