Major(s): Biology
Class Year: 26
High School: Colleyville Heritage High School
Advisor: Dr. Tapasree Roy Sarkar
Proposed URS Thesis Title:
Research Focus: Cancer Biology, Tumor Microenvironment, Circadian Biology, Nanotechnology
Other Projects and Publications: Investigating the Anti-Cancer Properties of a Novel Nanomaterial in Breast Cancer; Investigating the Impact of Circadian Disruption on Mammary Tumorigenesis and Mammary Microenvironment
Ogunlusi, O., Sarkar, M., Chakrabarti, A., Boland, D., Nguyen, T., Sampson., J., Nguyen, C., Falis, D., Jones-Hall, Y., Fu, L., Mallick., B., Keene, A., Jones, J., Sarkar, TR. Circadian rhythm disruption alters mammary gland morphology and accelerates cold aggressive tumorigenesis through a LILRB4-dependent pathway. BioRxiv. 2024. doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.03.19.585534
Organizations & Programs: Undergraduate Research Ambassadors, Sarkar Lab, Hand-and-Hand Share Missions, TAMU BUILD, Texas A&M Pre-Medical Society, Texas A&M Club Tennis
Activities: Traveling, Tennis, Backpacking/Hiking/Camping, Cooking, Piano
Experience: Summer Research, Oral and Poster Presentations
Years Experience: 2
Howdy! My name is Christian and I’m a junior Biological Sciences major from Colleyville, Texas. Upon graduating, I plan on attending medical school while pursuing research on the side.
A little about my research background: In the summer leading up to my freshman year, I was afforded an opportunity to pursue cancer research under my principal investigator, Dr. Tapasree Roy Sarkar. I immediately got to work building circadian cabinets that would be utilized for a project that involves investigating the impact of circadian rhythm disruption (CRD) on tumor initiation and progression. Currently, epidemiological studies have shown a link between CRD and an increased risk for the onset of breast cancer. In the summer of 2023, I worked alongside Ph.D. student, Olajumoke Ogunlusi, and Dr. Mrinmoy Sarkar in hopes of identifying the underlying molecular mechanism behind this occurrence. My current project involves investigating the anti-cancer properties of a novel nanomaterial, Fa-CuS, in triple negative breast cancer cell lines (TNBC). TNBC presents a particular challenge for treatment because of its lack of estrogen, progesterone, and human epidermal growth factor (HER2) receptors. Novel nanomaterials are an up-and-coming treatment option for TNBC because of its high targeting abilities, reduced toxicity, and biocompatibility, and FA-CuS in particular has showcased promising results in its ability to inhibit cancer cell proliferation and metastasis.
Working in the lab, I learned how to think critically, how to work alongside peers in a collaborative effort, and how to better bounce back from failure–skills that will carry me through the rest of my future endeavors. I also had the chance to meet wonderful people and mentors who inspire me each day on my path to becoming a physician. For anyone with any research related questions, or are wanting to give research a shot but don’t know where to start, please reach out!