This month, students in the Cancer Biology Graduate Interdisciplinary Program graduated in a special convocation for Interdisciplinary and Biomedical Sciences at the Health Sciences Innovation Building on May 8. 

The Cancer Center Office of Community Outreach and Engagement (COE) also had graduates who worked tirelessly for the Community Assessment of Southern Arizona survey and Research Outreach for Southern Arizona programs, according to Monica Yellowhair, PhD, interim associate director of COE and tribal relations.

We congratulate them all for their hard work and dedication to preventing and curing cancer through research and collaboration. We are also grateful for strong mentorship from former Cancer Center director Joann Sweasy, PhD, and Cancer Center members Cynthia Miranti, PhD; Curtis Thorne, PhD; Noel Warfel, PhD; Joyce Schroeder, PhD;  Koenraad Van Doorslaer, PhD; and William Monfort, PhD.

Cancer Biology, Graduate Interdisciplinary Program

Program chair: Cynthia Miranti, PhD
Vice chair: Noel Warfel, PhD

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Danielle L. Sawyer, PhD, spring 2024

"The S180R Human Germline Variant of DNA Polymerase β Exhibits Low Fidelity and the Potential to Drive Cancer Formation"
Mentor: Joann Sweasy, PhD
Hooding: Marina Cardo-Vila, PhD

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Anh B. Hua, PhD, spring 2024

"Bifunctional Glycosylase NEIL2 Plays an Important Role in Maintaining Cellular Genomic Integrity"
Mentor: Joann Sweasy, PhD
Hooding: Georg T. Wondrak, PhD

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Angelica Escoto, PhD, summer 2024

"Investigating the Role of Nuclear EGFR in Regulating the Tumor Immune Microenvironment in Breast Cancer"
Mentor: Joyce Schroeder, PhD
Hooding: Frans Tax, PhD

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Carly Cabel, PhD, summer 2023

"The S180R Human Germline Variant of DNA Polymerase β Exhibits Low Fidelity and the Potential to drive Cancer Formation
Mentor: Joann Sweasy, PhD
Hooding: Marina Cardo-Vila, PhD

Not pictured:

Reeba P. Varghese, PhD, winter 2023
“Discover and Characterization of a Glycogen Synthase Kinase – 3 Small Molecule Activator”
Mentor: Curtis Thorne, PhD

David Evan Joseph Williams, PhD, spring 2024
“Quasivirus Infection Model Identifies a Novel Role for Protein Arginine Methyltransferase 1 in the   HPV Lifecycle”
Mentor: Koenraad Van Doorslaer, PhD

Allison Moreno Samayoa, PhD, summer 2024
“Cysteine and Methionine Deprivation and N-Acetyl Cysteine as a Novel Cancer Treatment A”
Mentor: Andrew Paek, PhD

Amber N. Clements, PhD, summer 2024
“Pim Kinases Alter the Prostate Tumor Immune Microenvironment”
Mentor: Noel Warfel, PhD   

Jennifer Nicole Daw, PhD, summer 2024
“A New Role of Nitric Oxide Synthase (NOS2) in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) Cells”
Mentors: Ronald Heimark, PhD and William Monfort, PhD

Cancer Center Office of Community Outreach and Engagement

Interim associate director of COE and tribal relations: Monica Yellowhair, PhD

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Vikrant Deshmukh, MS, spring 2024

Major: Data Science
What are your goals after graduation? My goal is to drive positive change in healthcare, with a focus on the pharmaceutical and biotech industries, by utilizing my skills in analytics and business strategy to improve patient outcomes and operational efficiencies. I would also like to express my gratitude to my supervisor, Namoonga Mantina, and the COE team for their constant support throughout these years.

Not pictured:

Gauri Yadav, MS, December 2023
Trevor Centeno-Hall, MS
Halle Kirk-Tiefenthaler, BS