Yovel L
- Research Program Mentor
PhD candidate at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Expertise
Biology, Cancer Biology, Cellular Microenvironments, Drug Resistance in Cancer, Cancer Genetics, Immunology
Bio
I am a PhD candidate in the Biology program at MIT interested in how cancer, specifically Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML), survives treatment with chemotherapy. ~80% of patients who have AML initially respond to treatment, but in more than half of responding patients the cancer comes back. My research focuses on trying to understand how the bone marrow, which these tumors call home, helps the cancer cells that make up the tumor survive chemotherapy. I'm specifically interested in how other types of non-cancer cells in the bone marrow support the tumor cells and help them to survive. In my free time, I love to go hiking, camping, or skiing in the mountains of New England. During the cold winters, I love to cook, practice the guitar, sing, and play with my two cats, Jiji and Meowth. I'm also originally from Philadelphia, which naturally makes me an Eagles fan, GO BIRDS!Project ideas
Genetic Variation in Resistant Cancers
This project would choose a specific type of cancer and a specific type of treatment (something like Lung Adenocarcinoma and the BRAFv600e inhibitor debrafenib) and look at how the genetic landscape of the tumor changes over the course of treatment. The student would likely use large patient datasets that show rates of various mutations that arise in patients over the course of treatment. The project would look to find if there are consistent and specific mutations that arise in response to treatment. The project could then evolve into a literature deep dive that would seek to understand how those mutations may impact the response of the cancer cells to the initial treatment.