Holly Porter, Ph.D.

Molecular Medicine 2012

Undergraduate Institute: Rutgers University

Research Advisor: Achsah D. Keegan, Ph.D.

Current Position: Baltimore Police Department, Biology Division

Description of Research

Cancer patients with advanced or metastatic disease frequently undergo chemotherapy; however, many patients show inherent or acquired resistance to this treatment. Insulin receptor substrates (IRS) 1 and IRS2 are adaptor molecules linking several receptors to signaling pathways that regulate cellular proliferation and survival, and both have been implicated in cancer progression. My primary objective is to determine the role of IRS1 and IRS2 in the responsiveness of cells to chemotherapy-induced apoptosis.