“The Role of Snail in the Regulation of the Invasive Phenotype in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer”

2008 Research Fellowship Recipient ~ $70,000 over two years
Jane Yanagawa, M.D., University of California, Los Angeles

The TSFRE research fellowship has provided me with an amazing learning experience. After my third year of general surgery residency, I entered the lab with minimal previous research experience and little direction other than that I was interested in lung cancer research. The process of applying for the award introduced me to grant-writing as well as taught me how to develop a detailed project with meaningful goals and realistic aims. The funding I received gave me the opportunity to learn and utilize a variety of techniques, including three-dimensional cell culture, gene expression and tissue microarray analysis, as well as a variety of murine tumor models. As a result, I have had the honor of presenting at national meetings and publishing my work on the previously un-described impact of a transcriptional repressor called Snail on the tumor progression of non-small cell lung cancer. In addition to the immediate benefits related to my recent research project, this research fellowship has also contributed to my long-term commitment to pursue academic thoracic surgery. The satisfaction of garnering support for a cause one believes in leaves no doubt that such a career path would be incredibly meaningful.