5^th year of my PhD in the Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Department

Education

Arkansas State University, Jonesboro, Master’s in Biology

Acharya N. G Ranga Agricultural University, Bachelor’s in Agricultural Sciences

Research

My research focuses on improving existing treatment strategies for rectal cancer. Specifically, I study a protein called SETD2 and whether inhibiting it in combination with radiation can make rectal cancer cells more sensitive to radiation therapy. So far, our results suggest that SETD2 inhibition can enhance radiosensitivity, particularly in more radioresistant rectal cancer models. These findings indicate that SETD2 may be a promising therapeutic target for improving the effectiveness of radiation treatment.

Notable about his time as a Graduate

One of my most memorable experiences was preparing for the Three-Minute Thesis competition at UAMS Research Day. Initially, I did not plan to participate because I was terrified of presenting and competing alongside so many talented students. I decided to do it mainly to challenge myself and overcome that fear, and using a Harry Potter analogy to explain my research made the experience much more enjoyable and helped me connect with the audience. I never expected to win, so receiving first place made the experience even more meaningful and memorable for me.

Career Goals

Growing up, medicine has always been my dream, but I was not able to pursue medical school at that time. Even though my path led me into graduate education and research, my interest in medicine never went away. In fact, my Ph.D. research and my volunteer experiences in different clinical settings helped strengthen that commitment. Hopefully, I will get into medical school next year.

Experiment or Technique you would most like to do

I really enjoy performing Western blots. I have done so many of them over the years that the process now feels almost automatic, as if my hands know exactly what to do. Interestingly, Western blotting was one of the most difficult techniques for me to learn when I first started research, which makes it especially rewarding to see how comfortable and confident I have become with it.

Fun Facts

This past summer, I started playing volleyball with HotMess Sports Club, even though I had never played before. At first, I could barely hit the ball correctly, but I kept practicing with my teammates whenever I had time and treated every practice like I was preparing for nationals. By the end of the season, I was nominated for Most Improved Player. Now, volleyball is something I genuinely enjoy and try to play whenever I can.

Publications

Enhancing Rectal Cancer Radiosensitivity and Gut Protection through Methionine RestrictionIsabelle R Miousse, Oscar Zuniga, Sarita Garg, Lokesh Akana, Henrique Rodrigues, Saaimatul Huq, Kimberley J Krager, David Church, Tatiana Wolfe, Nükhet Aykin-Burns, Alan Tackett, Adam R Wolfe

CAP1 (Cyclase-Associated Protein 1) mediates the cyclic AMP signals that activate Rap1 in stimulating matrix adhesion of colon cancer cells. Auburn Ramsey, Lokesh Akana, Erina Miyajima, Joshua Gray, Alyssa Rowland, Krishna Sharma,Jianfeng Xu, Jennifer Y. Xie & Guo-Lei Zhou

Awards

Outstanding graduate student poster award (2^nd place) at UAMS research retreat (2026)

First place in UAMS Bioventure pitch competition for CADET program (2026)

First place in the 3 Minute Thesis competition at UAMS Research Day (2025)

Heart and Hustle Award by Graduate Student Association at UAMS (2025)

Exemplary Volunteer Award by Graduate Student Association at UAMS (2024)

CTRE travel grant award (1500$) through the WPRCI Cancer Research Training & Education Core, UAMS (2023 & 2024)

IDeA National Resource for Quantitative Proteomics internship award at UAMS (2024)

Congratulations to fourth-year Ph.D. student Emory Malone, who was selected to present a full-length talk at the 2026 FASEB Scientific Research Conference on Chromosome Biology and Cell States in Yeasts, held in Niagara Falls, New York on 27-29 July, 2026.  Emory presented results for her project entitled, Fission yeast transcription factor Toe2 positions meiotic recombination via nucleosome displacement.  A recent graduate of our Ph.D. program, Dr. Matthew Thompson (now an Assistant Professor at Lyon College), was a co-author on the study.  The research was supported by a grant from the National Institutes of Health to Dr. Wayne Wahls (grant number NIH R01 GM145834).

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)

We’re excited to share highlights from the recent Graduate Student Association (GSA) Closing Ceremony, where several outstanding graduate students and staff members were honored for their leadership and dedication:

Mrs. Kathy Carlson, Education Coordinator, received the Legacy of Service Award in recognition of her long-standing commitment and unwavering support of the Graduate Student Association (GSA) .

Reham Sewilam, fourth-year Ph.D. student and GSA President, received both the Visionary Leadership Award and the Change Maker Award for her pioneering efforts and exceptional leadership in creating new initiatives to support graduate students at UAMS in both educational and non-educational levels.

Lokesh Akana, third-year Ph.D. student and GSA Treasurer, was honored with the Heart and Hustle Award for his enthusiastic contributions and dedication to the GSA mission.

Sanjay Adhikary, second-year Ph.D. student and GSA Secretary, received the Exemplary Service Award for his growing contributions and active involvement in the GSA mission.

Congratulations to all awardees for their incredible work and commitment to the graduate student community!

Fifth year, GPIBS, Biochemistry track

Education

Harding University, B.S. Molecular and Cellular Biology with a minor in Computer Science

Research

My research focuses on deriving mechanisms of a relatively understudied human helicase known as DNA Helicase B, or HELB for short. HELB is a first responder to many types of DNA damage, and our lab has found that it also responds to events at replication forks during DNA replication. My project aims to define molecular mechanisms of HELB action at stalled and reversed replication forks to better understand where HELB fits into various DNA replication stress response and DNA repair pathways. Notably, loss of HELB leads to resistance to PARP inhibitor (olaparib) chemotherapy in BRCA1^-/- mouse xenograft models, and loss of HELB causes cells to become sensitive to ATR inhibitor chemotherapeutics (ceralasertib, etc.). We have found that HELB is recruited to ssDNA to aid loading and unloading of various ssDNA binding proteins to aid downstream replication stress and DNA repair processes. Hopefully my research (and the broader research within the Byrd lab) to define the role(s) and mechanism(s) of HELB can be used in the future to better predict and understand chemotherapeutic efficacy.

Notable about his time as a Graduate

During my time as a graduate student, I have enjoyed getting to do a wide variety of different techniques and day-to-day tasks. On any given day, I could be:

• growing human cell lines (my millions of “children”)
• growing bacteria (my other “children”)
• accidentally growing bacteria with my human cell lines (oops)
• writing something (and pretending to be a fiction author)
• making a poster (and pretending to be a graphic designer)
• coding something (and pretending to be a programmer)
• analyzing sequencing data (and pretending like I understand anything at all about Bayesian statistics)
• doing a western blot (for the tenth time)
• silanizing my own coverslips for DNA combing (and then never actually using them)

I have learned that, if you are indecisive about your career path, graduate school lets you do it all at once (for better or for worse)!

Career Goals

My career goal is to be a science educator and/or communicator in some capacity. I have recently accepted a job offer from Lyon College in Batesville, AR to become an Assistant Professor within their Chemistry Department! I will be teaching biochemistry, general chemistry, and starting my own independent research with students in the Fall 2025 semester. I am excited to hone my communication and teaching skills, and I am excited to help students reach their career goals by engaging with chemistry in the world around them.

Experiment or technique you would most like to do

I think it would be super fun to do two-dimensional gel electrophoresis to visualize replication fork stalling at a specific site in the genome. This relatively obscure technique produces wild looking smears and arcs of DNA that can (somehow) be interpreted to learn about DNA replication at specific genomic loci. When I first came across these kinds of gels, I always joked that the images required magic to interpret.

Fun Facts

I participate in a lot of local musical ensembles. I play clarinet/contra alto clarinet in the North Little Rock Community Band, until recently played cornet in the Natural State Brass Band, and sing in my church choir. I can also play bassoon, but I’ll have to save more money to be able to purchase one!

Publications

1. Thompson, M. D., Malone, E. G., & Byrd, A. K. 2022. Monitoring helicase-catalyzed unwinding of multiple duplexes simultaneously. Methods in Enzymology 672:1–27. doi:10.1016/BS.MIE.2022.02.018.
2. Thompson, M.D., and Byrd A.K. 2024. Untargeted CUT&Tag and BG4 CUT&Tag are both enriched at G-quadruplexes and accessible chromatin. bioRxiv 2024.09.26.615263; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.09.26.615263.
3. Malone, E. G., Thompson, M. D., & Byrd, A. K. 2022. Role and Regulation of Pif1 Family Helicases at the Replication Fork. International Journal of Molecular Sciences 2022, Vol. 23, Page 3736 23(7):3736. doi:10.3390/IJMS23073736.
4. Osei, B., May, B. H., Stiefel, C. M., West, K. L., Zafar, M. K., Thompson, M. D., Bergstrom, E., Leung, J. W., Enemark, E. J., and Byrd, A. K. 2024. Rare SNP in the HELB gene interferes with RPA interaction and cellular function of HELB. bioRxiv 2024.02.27.582415. doi:10.1101/2024.02.27.582415.
5. Byrd, A. K., Malone, E. G., Hazeslip, L., Zafar, M. K., Harrison, D. K., Thompson, M. D., Gao, J., Perumal, S. K., Marecki, J. C., & Raney, K. D. 2021. A structural feature of Dda helicase which enhances displacement of streptavidin and trp repressor from DNA. Protein Science. doi:10.1002/PRO.4232.
6. Chappell, K., Manna, K., Washam, C. L., Graw, S., Alkam, D., Thompson, M. D., Zafar, M. K., Hazeslip, L., Randolph, C., Gies, A., Bird, J. T., Byrd, A. K., Miah, S., & Byrum, S. D. 2021. Multi-omics data integration reveals correlated regulatory features of triple negative breast cancer. Molecular Omics 17(5):677–691. doi:10.1039/D1MO00117E

Awards

• Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute Cancer Research Training and Education Core Travel Award (2024)
• Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute Cancer Research Training and Education Core Travel Award (2023)
• Third place, UAMS Bhuvan Award for Excellence in Biochemistry Research (2023)
• Runner up, UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute Award for Outstanding Cancer Research (2023)
• Finalist, UAMS Student Research Day 3 Minute Thesis Competition (2022)

I am a fourth year student in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

Education

Hendrix College – Bachelor of Arts in Neuroscience

Research

My research focuses on the melanocortin pathway in the brain which controls appetite, energy homeostasis, and glucose homeostasis. In this pathway, I am particularly interested in the function of the melanocortin 4 receptor (MC4R), a G protein-coupled receptor, and the effects of cholesterol loss on MC4R function. Brain cholesterol is mostly synthesized from within the brain as cholesterol in the periphery cannot cross the blood-brain barrier. Studies have found that cholesterol biosynthesis is decreased in the brain of Huntington’s Disease patients and in mouse models of Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes. Using a drug called methyl-β-cyclodextrin (MβCD) to deplete cholesterol in a neuroblastoma cell line, I have found that cholesterol depletion impairs colocalization of MC4R with a vesicle-coating protein called clathrin and induces rapid desensitization of the receptor. Our lab is working to determine the mechanism of this desensitization and possible ways to restore MC4R function in a model of deficient brain cholesterol. In addition, to define the sub-cellular location of MC4R in a more physiological model, our lab expressed exogenous hemagglutinin-tagged MC4R (HA-MC4R) in primary neurons using Adeno-associated adenovirus type 2 (AAV2). We found that HA-MC4R was located both at the center and adjacent to post-synaptic sites containing ionotropic glutamate receptors, indicating that MC4R may be positioned to control glutamatergic signaling. My future research will determine how cholesterol depletion affects MC4R traffic and signaling at these sites.

Notable about her time as a Graduate

One of the first mini-projects that I had when starting graduate school was to subclone a plasmid encoding for a fluorescently-tagged G protein, Gs, which activates adenylyl cyclase. After several failed attempts and at least three months of work, I finally subcloned a plasmid that worked. Because of those failed attempts (and good record-keeping of what worked and what didn’t), I became better at subcloning and teaching others what I had learned.

Career Goals

In whatever research capacity I am involved in after the PhD, I want to continue studying neurobiology of the brain and pathology of neurodegenerative diseases and ageing and to identify possible therapeutics for improving brain function.

Experiment or technique you would most like to do

Electrophysiology—I have never done it but would like to some day!

Fun facts

I started figure skating when I was four years old, and when I’m not in the lab I am on the ice coaching my skating students.

Publications

1. Trentzsch M, Nyamugenda E, Miles TK, Griffin H, Russell S, Koss B, Cooney KA, Phelan KD, Tackett AJ, Iyer S, Boysen G, Baldini G. Delivery of phosphatidylethanolamine blunts stress in hepatoma cells exposed to elevated palmitate by targeting the endoplasmic reticulum. Cell Death Discov. 2020 Feb 18;6:8.
2. Nyamugenda E, Griffin H, Russell S, Cooney KA, Kowalczyk NS, Islam I, Phelan KD, Baldini G. Selective Survival of Sim1/MC4R Neurons in Diet-Induced Obesity. iScience. 2020 May 22;23(5):101114.
3. Griffin H, Sullivan SC, Barger SW, Phelan KD, Baldini G. Liraglutide Counteracts Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress in Palmitate-Treated Hypothalamic Neurons without Restoring Mitochondrial Homeostasis. Int J Mol Sci. 2022 Dec 30;24(1):629.

Awards

2024 – Received first place for the Bhuvan Award for Excellence in Biochemistry Research at UAMS Student Research Day

I am a 4th year student in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

Education

Arkansas Tech University – Bachelor of Science in Biology, Bachelor of Arts in Music, Minor in Chemistry

Research

My graduate work aims to expand current knowledge on the regulation of the double stranded break response. Specifically, I study the histone H2AX and how it interacts with downstream components of the DNA damage response. Recently, I have been working to characterize a non-canonical mechanism of 53BP1 recruitment to sites of DNA damage which we found is mediated by the H2AX C-terminal linker region.

Notable about her time as a Graduate

I have been fortunate to attend multiple scientific conferences during my graduate studies. Before the conferences, I was so nervous about presenting at the poster sessions. However, once I got started, I realized that poster sessions are a lot of fun. It’s a great way to meet other scientists that are interested in your work, get input and new ideas, and geek out. So now, I look forward to presenting at poster sessions and getting to discuss my research with new people in a relaxed setting.

Career Goals

Once I obtain my PhD I will continue to pursue a career in cancer research.

Experiment or Technique most like to do

One of my favorite techniques in the lab is cloning. Prior to and during my graduate studies, I did a lot of synthetic biology to develop plasmids for my projects. I really enjoy piecing things together or changing sequences to make something entirely new.

Fun Facts

I do MMA and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and I have a black belt in Taekwondo. While I don’t practice as much as I used to (life is busy), I still spend many evenings wrestling my two- and four-year-old.

Publications

1. Lee SO, Kelliher JL, Song W, Tengler K, Sarkar A, Dray E, Leung JWC. UBA80 and UBA52 fine-tune RNF168-dependent histone ubiquitination and DNA repair. J Biol Chem. 2023 Jul 12;:105043. doi: 10.1016/j.jbc.2023.105043. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 37451480.
2. Kelliher J, Ghosal G, Leung JWC. New answers to the old RIDDLE: RNF168 and the DNA damage response pathway. FEBS J. 2021 Apr 2;. doi: 10.1111/febs.15857. Review. PubMed PMID: 33797206; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC8486888.
3. Kelliher JL, West KL, Gong Q, Leung JWC. Histone H2A variants alpha1-extension helix directs RNF168-mediated ubiquitination. Nat Commun. 2020 May 18;11(1):2462. doi: 10.1038/s41467-020-16307-4. PubMed PMID: 32424115; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC7235047.
4. Pont MJ, Hill T, Cole GO, Abbott JJ, Kelliher J, Salter AI, Hudecek M, Comstock ML, Rajan A, Patel BKR, Voutsinas JM, Wu Q, Liu L, Cowan AJ, Wood BL, Green DJ, Riddell SR. γ-Secretase inhibition increases efficacy of BCMA-specific chimeric antigen receptor T cells in multiple myeloma. Blood. 2019 Nov 7;134(19):1585-1597. doi: 10.1182/blood.2019000050. PubMed PMID: 31558469; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC6871311.
5. West KL, Kelliher JL, Xu Z, An L, Reed MR, Eoff RL, Wang J, Huen MSY, Leung JWC. LC8/DYNLL1 is a 53BP1 effector and regulates checkpoint activation. Nucleic Acids Res. 2019 Jul 9;47(12):6236-6249. doi: 10.1093/nar/gkz263. PubMed PMID: 30982887; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC6614850.

Awards

2022 – Awarded a $1500 travel grant through the WPRCI Cancer Research Training and Education Core

2023 – Awarded a $5161 Voucher through the WPRCI Shared Resource Voucher Program

2023 – Received 1^st place for the Bhuvan Award for Excellence in Biochemistry Research at UAMS Student Research Day

2023 – Received award for Best Graduate Student Poster at the WPRCI Cancer Institute Retreat

I just started my sixth year in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Ph.D. program and will graduate in October.

Education

China Pharmaceutical University, B.S. in Pharmacy (Basic Pharmacy).

Research

I have two research interests: 1) Discovery and optimization of novel inhibitors of clinically relevant targets 2) PROTAC and its applications. I have been working on multiple research projects within these research scopes.

I’m currently working on my dissertation thesis based on one of the projects, titled: Identification of Imidazo[1,2 a]pyridine pyridine derivatives as FLT3 kinase inhibitors for potential treatments of acute myeloid leukemia.

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a hematologic cancer characterized by proliferative, clonal, abnormally differentiated, and occasionally poorly differentiated cells. Activating mutations in FMS-like tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT3) are the most frequent genetic alteration in AML, found in approximately 30% of newly diagnosed cases, most commonly consisting of internal tandem duplication (ITD) mutations in the juxtamembrane region. Recently, several FLT3 inhibitors have demonstrated clinical activity and three are currently approved – midostaurin, quizartinib, and gilteritinib. However, their clinical efficacies are limited in part due to the emergence of secondary clinical resistance, caused by multiple mechanism including on-target FLT3 secondary mutations – FLT3-ITD/D835Y and FLT3-ITD/F691L being the most common, as well as the off-target activation of alternative pathways including the BCR-ABL pathway. Therefore, in order to overcome drug resistance and further improve outcomes, new compounds targeting FLT3-ITD with secondary mutants are urgently needed. In my works, three compounds were identified with potent anti-leukemic effects, and may be further developed for treatment of AML.

Notable about his time as a Graduate

Throughout my Ph.D. periods, I got to know that research is never a solitary work. It requires frequent communication and close collaboration to get the work done.

Career Goals

I will seek postdoc training after my Ph.D. I have already accepted the postdoc offer at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, working with Dr. Jun Qi. My vision for my future career is to take on the academic path and be an independent principal investigator after the postdoc training.  

Experiment or technique you would most like to do (could be something you enjoy doing or something you have never done but would like to get the opportunity to do)

I like the design and synthesis of new compounds because there is a sense of satisfaction in creating something new.

Fun Fact about Xiuqi

I like hiking and exploring nature.

Katie is a fifth year student in the Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Ph.D program.

She attended Liberty University where she completed a Bachelor of Science degree in biology with a minor in chemistry

Research Interest

My research focus is on the conserved RNA-binding protein Musashi, the proteins it associates with, and the effect those associations have on regulating translation. Musashi is a biomarker for stem cells, regulating asymmetrical differentiation and maintaining a stem cell population. Originally studied as a translational repressor, the MacNicol lab has found that Musashi is required for the translational activation of specific transcripts. However, while Musashi uses its two N-terminal RNA-recognition motifs to bind to RNA, its C-terminus is disordered and contains no enzymatic or catalytic domains. Therefore, Musashi must require protein interactions in complexes to regulate translation, the composition of which could regulate Musashi-dependent translational effects. One of those proteins is Lsm14B. We are one of the first labs to identify Lsm14B as a translational activator, and the first group to identify the Musashi:Lsm14B interaction to be necessary to translate Mos and Cyclin B5 proteins in Xenopus oocytes to re-initiation of the cell cycle as well as translating the pituitary development-specific transcription factor Prop1. I have also discovered over 200 proteins that likely associate with Musashi independent of RNA in the mouse anterior pituitary through immunoprecipitations and mass spectrometry. My research will lay the groundwork for future investigations into the regulation of Musashi-bound RNA transcripts due to Musashi-protein interactions.

Notable about her time as a graduate student

Being a Ph.D. student is already a unique experience – a global pandemic in the middle of your Ph.D. truly makes it even more unique. The amount of personal growth I have experienced not only through the usual Ph.D. experience but also through these universally trying times has affected my approach to science and my research goals, highlighting the need for good science and excellent communication.

Her career goals

I will be expanding my research training and experience through a post-doctoral research position here at UAMS.

Experiment or technique she would most like to do

I would love to learn how to conduct bioinformatics analyses.

Fun fact about Katie

I joke that I’m preparing my retirement hobbies – I love gardening, crochet, reading, and tennis. A goal of mine is to have a library of books I’ve already read.