NH-INBRE Fellows Conduct Research Crucial to Understanding Certain Cancers

Accompanied by the constant humming of chemical incubators, Emily Cote ’27 (Biology major, Chemistry minor) Hannah Sjostedt ’27 (Forensic Science & Criminal Justice major, Chemistry minor), and Addison Croscut ’28 (Chemistry major) spent their summer donning surgical gloves and goggles in a research lab led by Professor Jennifer Pace, Ph.D. This took place through the NH-INBRE Summer Research Fellowship.

With Pace’s guidance, the students worked to create small molecules that may interfere with an important system that helps control how cells grow and function: the Hippo Pathway. When this pathway isn’t working properly, it can cause certain types of human cancer to develop, making it an important topic for research.

The Hippo Pathway is extremely important for tissue homeostasis and cell differentiation, and without it, bodily functions would be impacted. Students conducted varying biological experiments to test whether the molecules they created affect the pathway. If successful, student-developed molecules could become useful tools for studying cancer or even lead to new treatments.

“We all know at least one person who has been affected by cancer,” said Cote. “The term ‘cancer' refers to hundreds of diseases, so working to find new therapies is vital.” Cote’s involvement in the lab was especially inspiring as she felt she was part of something bigger than herself. From synthesizing new small molecule compounds to learning cell culture techniques, Cote gained valuable skills that contribute to the vast world of cancer research and aid her future endeavors in the field of biomedical research.

According to Sjostedt, no day in the lab is the same. Most days start by meeting with Prof. Pace to discuss her goals, and then Sjostedt begins on that day’s tasks, whether it be purifying a compound, working up a reaction, or collecting data. Even the not-so-interesting parts, like cleaning flasks and test tubes, gave her tactical field experience. Further, Sjostedt has a personal connection to this summer’s studies, as a family member was recently diagnosed with breast cancer.

“I felt like there was nothing I could do to help someone I loved, so when I saw Prof. Pace was looking for research assistants, I jumped at the opportunity,” said Sjostedt. “This research is not only important to me personally . . . it has the potential to help other people.” Sjostedt intends to complete Saint Anselm’s criminal justice master’s program and then take on a career in crime. “I would love to work on cold cases as part of a forensic team to help get families and friends answers about what happened to their loved ones.”

For aspiring pharmacist Croscut, the research prepares her for hands-on work with different types of chemicals and procedures. Her favorite part of the research was creating molecules through a series of chemical reactions, a necessary precursor for her post-grad studies in pharmaceuticals. Though research was prolonged at times, the students enjoyed the waiting game of seeing how certain chemicals reacted in a mixture.

“It’s like seeing which pieces fit in a really big puzzle.”

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