Research Interests

Women diagnosed with breast cancer following pregnancy have a poorer prognosis than women diagnosed with non-pregnancy associated breast cancer.  Currently it is unclear as to why breast cancer diagnosed following pregnancy is more aggressive however a diagnosis of breast cancer within the first year following childbirth is negatively associated with survival.  Understanding why this is so could have a large impact on improving the survival of pregnancy associated breast cancer patients.  My previous work established that adipose stromal cells present in the breast during lactation promote the growth of breast cancer cells due to high levels of the gene cellular retinoic acid binding protein-1 (crabp1).   Research conducted by undergraduates at Assumption College will extend that observation and focus on the mechanism of how of crabp1 expression levels are regulated in lactation-derived adipose stromal cells.  These findings may help lead to new therapies which would potentially extend the survival rates in a population of young women and mothers diagnosed with cancer.