Dr. Lacher Awarded Grant from Whiteside Institute for Clinical Research

Sarah Lacher, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Biomedical Sciences, was recently awarded a $15,000 grant from the Whiteside Institute for Clinical Research. The project is titled, "Dissecting the Impact of Decreased HIF1a on Global Gene Expression, Cancer Cell Migration and Cancer Patient Outcome." 

A key biochemical phenotype associated with poor prognosis in cancer patients is altered redox homeostasis with concomitant activation of two oxygen-sensitive transcription factors: Nuclear factor erythroid-derived 2-like 2 (NRF2) and Hypoxia inducible factor 1α (HIF-1a). The primary purpose of this proposal is to investigate the relationship between these two transcription factors and understand the impact of modulating NRF2 and HIF-1a activity on cancer cell biology as it applies to cancer patients' response to therapy and prognosis.

Congratulations Dr. Lacher!