I am an MSTP Fellow in the MD/PhD program here at Michigan and joined the Hammer lab in Fall 2016 to pursue the PhD phase of my joint degree program, researching the molecular biology of adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC).
ACC has been characterized by few common genetic alterations (high expression of IGF2, constitutive Wnt/Beta-catenin signaling), but its molecular mechanisms remain unclear. Our group has helped lead the effort to better understand the molecular pathogenesis of ACC through analyzing the genetic profiles of nearly 100 ACC patients in the TCGA, and has expanded on the knowledge of driver genetic alterations to include cell cycle regulators and epigenetic modifiers. In my project, I am exploring the roles that dysregulated cell cycle and aberrant epigenetic control play in ACC.
