I joined the Hammer Lab as a postdoctoral research fellow in September 2014. Previously, I completed my graduate training at the University of Utah, where I studied pathways that regulate normal mammary gland development and how they may be disrupted during breast cancer progression.
In the Hammer laboratory, I am studying a gene called ZNRF3, which was recently identified by The Cancer Genome Atlas Project as the most commonly altered gene in adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC). Specifically, ZNRF3 is deleted or mutated in nearly 20% of human ACCs. In light of these recent findings, we are studying the role of ZNRF3 during both normal adrenal development and ACC progression. We hope to uncover biology about ZNRF3 that ultimately aids in the development of innovative therapeutic strategies for the treatment of ACC.
