Laura P
- Research Program Mentor
PhD at Dartmouth College
Expertise
Neuroscience, Neurodegenerative diseases, Psychology, Cancer biology, Cancer therapeutics, Cellular & Molecular Biology, Scientific communication
Bio
I currently work as a clinical research coordinator at the Dartmouth Cancer Center, helping to conduct both national and pharmaceutical clinical trials. I recently graduated from my Dartmouth College with a PhD in Experimental and Molecular Medicine. My thesis research was focused on using targeted therapeutics to treat the two most common types of pediatric cancer - acute myeloid leukemia and medulloblastoma. I was particularly focused on using small molecule inhibitors to treat acute myeloid leukemia in the context of a DNA damage repair disorder Fanconi Anemia, which has limited viable treatment options due to excessive toxicity experienced with standard chemotherapeutics. As for medulloblastoma, I explored the use of small molecule inhibitors in combination with radiation therapy to sensitize brain tumor cells to radiation, with the ultimate goal of minimizing the toxic effects of radiation in children. In undergrad my research ranged from learning and behavior studies in mice, to neurophysiology research focused on recording action potentials from individual neurons in crayfish, to studying the effect of an opioid antagonist naloxone on sexual conditioning in Japanese quail. Outside of research, I love to take time to enjoy the outdoors. In the summer I can frequently be found camping, kayaking, hiking, swimming, golfing, and enjoying all that New England has to offer. In the winter I love skiing, snow tubing, and escaping the cold by baking and reading.Project ideas
Finding a Better Approach to Treating Brain Cancer
Brain and nervous system cancers are the 10th leading cause of death with over 18,600 adults projected to die this year alone. Even with the current treatment options, the overall five-year survival for people with a central nervous system tumor is only 36%. In this project we can learn about: - The multiple different types of brain cancers and how/why their prognosis and survival rates differ - The challenges we face in treating brain cancer - The current standard of care treatment for patients with brain tumors - New therapeutics that are emerging and what aspects of the current standard of care could we improve on
Biomechanics of Concussions
Each year between 1.7 and 3.0 million sports or recreation related concussions occur. More strikingly 2 in 10 high school athletes that play contact sports will get a concussion, and 5 in 10 concussions go unreported or undetected. In this project we can learn: - The biomechanics underlying concussions - The timeline of effects within the brain following a concussion - The long lasting impact of a single mild traumatic brain injury - Ways which we can improve athlete’s knowledge of how to prevent a concussion and what to do and expect when recovering from a concussion