News

5^th year, GPIBS-Biochemistry and Molecular Biology track

Education

University of Minnesota Twin Cities: B.S. Biochemistry

University of Minnesota Twin Cities: M.S. Pharmacology

Research

My research focuses on investigating the function of CST6, a lysosomal protease inhibitor, in the multiple myeloma microenvironment. I focus on CST6’s immunosuppressive function in the microenvironment, as it has been shown to induce anti-inflammatory responses in macrophages. I used mainly mouse bone marrow primary cells and the KaLwRij mouse model to analyze the immunosuppressive effect of CST6. Using the co-culture assay, flow cytometry, and ELISA, I demonstrated that CST6 can further inhibit T-cell activity and induce T-cell exhaustion. Via mutagenesis, I found that a CST6 mutant, CST6^N137D, does not have an immunosuppressive effect while retaining its ability to inhibit myeloma-induced bone lesion formation. Further mouse study also showed a better therapeutic outcome of CST6^N137D on our KaLwRij model.

Notable about his time as a Graduate

I became surprisingly good at mouse tail vein injections, yet it was the task I dreaded the most during my PhD. It taught me an important lesson: “You can be excellent at something and be applauded for it, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you have to enjoy it.”

Career Goals

I am planning to transition into the industry and get a job at a biotech or pharmaceutical company. Currently, I am actively sending applications to these companies located in Boston, San Francisco, Seattle and San Diego.

Experiment or Technique you would most like to do

If there’s any chance – a systematic training on bioinformatics analysis will be nice!

Fun Facts

I like to write fantasy adventure stories. And I get cursed by my friends (also my audience), not just once, for how sad those stories end.

Publications

1. Zhang Z, Zhan F. Type 2 Cystatins and Their Roles in the Regulation of Human Immune Response and Cancer Progression. Cancers (Basel). 2023 Nov 10;15(22):5363. doi: 10.3390/cancers15225363IF: 4.4 Q2 . PMID: 38001623; PMCID: PMC10670837.
2. Guo W, Zhan Y, Mery D, Siegel ER, Sun F, Cheng Y, Ashby TC, Zhang Z, Bailey C, Alapat DV, Peng H, Hadidi SA, Thanendrarajan S, Schinke C, Zangari M, van Rhee F, Tricot G, Shaughnessy JD, Zhan F. Prognostic value of ferritin in ASCT MM patients: integration with GEP models and ISS series systems. Blood Cancer J. 2024 Feb 14;14(1):30. doi: 10.1038/s41408-024-00998-9IF: 11.6 Q1 . PMID: 38355688; PMCID: PMC10866867.
3. Gai D, Caviness PC, Lazarenko OP, Chen JF, Randolph CE, Zhang Z, Cheng Y, Sun F, Xu H, Blackburn ML, Tricot G, Shaughnessy JD Jr, Chen JR, Zhan F. Cystatin M/E Ameliorates Multiple Myeloma-Induced Hyper Osteolytic Bone Resorption. Cancers (Basel). 2025 Feb 27;17(5):833. doi: 10.3390/cancers17050833. PMID: 40075680; PMCID: PMC11899016.
4. Guo W, Strouse C, Mery D, Siegel ER, Munshi MN, Ashby TC, Cheng Y, Sun F, Wanchai V, Zhang Z, Bailey C, Alapat DV, Peng H, Al Hadidi S, Thanendrarajan S, Schinke C, Zangari M, van Rhee F, Tricot G, Shaughnessy JD Jr, Zhan F. A Risk Stratification System in Myeloma Patients with Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation. Cancers (Basel). 2024 Mar 11;16(6):1116. doi: 10.3390/cancers16061116. PMID: 38539451; PMCID: PMC10969019.

Awards

2023 – American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting 2024 – Abstract Achievement Award

2026 – American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB) – 2026 Graduate Student or Postdoctoral Researcher Award

Education

King University, B.A. – Human Biology & Spanish (double major)

Research

My research centers on the apolipoprotein B mRNA editing catalytic polypeptide (APOBEC) family of nucleic acid deaminating enzymes, whose activity is the second leading known cause of mutagenesis in cancer. I study the processes by which the APOBEC family member AID (activation induced cytidine deaminase) diverges from its normal role of mutating immunoglobulin DNA to generate oncogenic mutations in lymphoma-associated genes such as BCL2 and MYC. Through this work, we now understand that G-quadruplexes (noncanonical DNA secondary structures formed by stacked guanine tetrads) in both of these genes can stimulate AID activity by a subset of APOBECs including AID. This research, along with the broader goals of the Kendrick lab, helps us understand the mechanisms by which certain lymphomas emerge and recur.

Notable about his time as a Graduate

Grad school has certainly taught me how to “fail forward,” get creative, and work with the cards that I’m dealt. I have, along with every grad student, troubleshooted countless experiments into oblivion: a practice which has really blurred the line between persistence and insanity. But this has taught me (and maybe forced me) to come at questions from new angles, and many of the discoveries I’ve made probably would not have come along if this were a smooth ride.

Career Goals

I’m not sure where yet, but I will begin a postdoctoral fellowship upon completion of my degree. I’m broadly interested in mutagenesis, repair, and genome integrity, so I’m excited to see what comes next!

Experiment or Technique you would most like to do

I have very limited experience with in vivo models. I’d really like to work with murine models, or maybe even Drosophila or C. elegans to see how these things I’m studying impact a whole organism.

Fun Facts

I play a lot of volleyball any chance I get! I played most of my life and through college and still enjoy it every chance I get, though I’ve made the transition to sand volleyball to save my knees. I also dabble in tennis and any racket sport – any excuse to get outside.

Publications

1. Brown S, Swafford K, McCrury M, Nasrin F, Gragg CQ, Chavan A, Roy Choudhury S, Dickerhoff J, Yang D, Kendrick S. G-quadruplex and i-motif DNA structures form in the promoter of the key innate immune adaptor MYD88. Cell Rep Phys Sci. 2025 May 21; 6(5):102560. doi: 10.1016/j.xcrp.2025.102560. Epub 2025 Apr 28. PMID: 40642110; PMCID: PMC12245167.
2. McCrury M, Swafford K, Shuttleworth SL, Mehdi SH, Acharya B, Saha D, Naceanceno K, Byrum SD, Storey AJ, Xu YZ, Doshier C, Patel V, Post GR, De Loose A, Rodriguez A, Shultz LD, Zhan F, Yoon D, Frett B, Kendrick S. Bifunctional Inhibitor Reveals NEK2 as a Therapeutic Target and Regulator of Oncogenic Pathways in Lymphoma. Mol Cancer Ther. 2024 Mar 4;23(3):316-329. doi: 10.1158/1535-7163.MCT-23-0299. PMID: 37816504
3. Ketkar A, Sewilam RS, McCrury MJ, Hall JS, Bell A, Paxton BC, Tripathi S, Gunderson JEC, Eoff RL. Conservation of the insert-2 motif confers Rev1 from different species with an ability to disrupt G-quadruplexes and stimulate translesion DNA synthesis. RSC Chem Biol. 2023 May 11;4(7):466-485. doi: 10.1039/d3cb00027c. PMID: 37415867
4. Swafford K, Acharya B, Xu YZ, Raney T, McCrury M, Saha D, Frett B, Kendrick S. Targeting a Novel G-Quadruplex in the CARD11 Oncogene Promoter with Naptho(2,1-b)furan-1-ethanol,2-nitro- Requires the Nitro Group. Genes (Basel). 2022 Jun 25;13(7):1144. doi: 10.3390/genes13071144. PMID: 35885931

Grants

Graduate Research Fellowship Program, National Science Foundation.

Awards

• Travel Grant, UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute (2026)
• G4thering Travel Award, 9th International Meeting on Quadruplex Nucleic Acids Organizing Committee (2025)
• Presentation of the Semester, UAMS Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Student Seminar Series (2025)               
• Travel Award, Arkansas IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (2025)
• Second place, Bhuvan Award for Excellence in Biochemistry Graduate Research, UAMS Student Research Day (2024)
• Travel Grant, UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute (2024)
• Runner-up in cancer research, UAMS Student Research Day (2023)