USA investigators awarded grants for breast cancer research

From left, Seema Singh, Ph.D.; Chandrani Sarkar, Ph.D.; Beth Davis, BCRFA president and CEO; Debanjan Chakroborty, Ph.D.; Simon Grelet, Ph.D.; and Ajay Singh, Ph.D., attend the Breast Cancer Research Foundation of Alabama's event in Birmingham last December.

Four researchers from the USA Health Mitchell Cancer Institute and the Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine recently were awarded grants from the Breast Cancer Research Foundation of Alabama (BCRFA). Presented during an event in Birmingham last December, the awards were part of the organization’s $1.25 million investment in state-based research in 2023.

Among this year’s grant recipients are Simon Grelet, Ph.D., assistant professor of biochemistry and molecular biology; Santanu Dasgupta, Ph.D., assistant professor of pathology; Chandrani Sarkar, Ph.D., assistant professor of pathology; and Ajay Singh., Ph.D., professor of pathology. The researchers will examine different aspects of breast cancer, the most common cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in women in the United States. 

The highly competitive grants provide each investigator $100,000 in funding over a two-year period. The awards act as seed funding for early-stage studies, allowing researchers to generate crucial data needed to attract major national grants. 

“This year’s monumental investment by the BCRFA solidifies our ongoing legacy as a driver of pivotal research within Alabama,” said Beth Davis, president and CEO of the BCRFA. “Our support spans critical facets, from pioneering early detection strategies to fostering groundbreaking treatment innovations. These investments will deliver hope and tangible advancements to those battling breast cancer.”

Grelet’s study aims to identify the genetic mechanisms governing the nerve-cancer interface in innervated triple-negative breast cancer, with the long-term goal of developing novel targeted therapies against this aggressive cancer subtype. 

Dasgupta’s research focuses on the role mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) alteration plays in tumor recurrence. The study will investigate the potential of mtDNA mutation detection in predicting breast cancer recurrence and progression early.

Sarkar’s project examines the role of lymphangiogenesis – the process of lymphatic growth from preexisting lymphatic vessels – in the spread of breast cancer, with the ultimate aim to develop newer therapeutic approaches targeting lymphangiogenesis for treatment of breast cancer patients. 

Singh’s lab is exploring a novel mechanism of endocrine resistance that may be at play to sustain the growth of breast cancer cells following endocrine therapy. The data generated will form the basis for a larger multi-year study relevant to precision oncology and alternative therapeutic management of breast cancer.

Also during the event, postdoctoral fellows Amod Sharma, Ph.D., and Prabhat Suman, Ph.D., presented posters to share research findings from their BCRFA-funded projects from last year. 

Founded in 1996, the Breast Cancer Research Foundation of Alabama is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to find a cure for breast cancer by funding promising breast cancer research in Alabama and raising community awareness and funding for that research.

Listen to the BCRFA's Beth Davis discuss breast cancer research on The Cancering Show podcast, powered by the USA Health Mitchell Cancer Institute.

Meet a Med Student: Megan Rasmussen

Megan Rasmussen

Age: 25

Class: 2026

Hometown: Headland, Alabama

Undergraduate education: Bachelor's degree in mathematics, Birmingham-Southern College

What do you enjoy most about being a medical student at the Whiddon College of Medicine?
I enjoy having a smaller class size that enables me to know my classmates and professors well. 

Are you involved in any research, organizations or other initiatives at the Whiddon College of Medicine?
I am the donation coordinator for the JagPantry, community service chair for the Medical Spanish Interest Group (also part of the Graduate Healthcare Spanish Program), treasurer of the Ophthalmology Interest Group, and I conduct research in Dr. Aishwarya Prakash's lab at the Mitchell Cancer Institute.

What are your interests and hobbies?
Running, hiking, skiing, and anything outside with my dog

What is something unique about you?
I took two gap years after undergrad in Montana where I enjoyed my hobbies and worked as an ophthalmic scribe and technician.

Basic medical sciences student selected for prestigious national fellows program

Santina Johnson

Santina Johnson, a basic medical sciences doctoral student at the Whiddon College of Medicine, has been selected as one of 10 nationwide to participate in the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET) 2024 Washington Fellows program. 

The program helps developing and early-career scientists interested in science policy to learn about and become more engaged in public policy issues.  

“Being selected as an ASPET Washington Fellow is an honor that deeply resonates with my journey in science and policy,” Johnson said. “This recognition goes beyond personal success; it symbolizes a meaningful opportunity to engage in and contribute to a wider dialogue about the interplay between scientific insights and effective policymaking.  

“I am thrilled about the chance to learn from and add to discussions on science and health policy, particularly focusing on drug safety and efficacy.” 

Johnson, a native of Alabama’s Black Belt region, discovered her passion for science and healthcare early on. She earned a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry at Spring Hill College, where she was actively engaged in academic research and served as a volunteer to promote health education in the community. 

Following her undergraduate studies, Johnson worked as a teacher and behavioral specialist at AltaPointe’s BayPointe Hospital, an adolescent psychiatric facility. She credits this experience to steering her toward graduate studies and deepening her resolve to make a meaningful impact in healthcare.  

“While my early education and experiences laid the foundation, it was during my time at Spring Hill College and my role at BayPointe Hospital that I recognized the significant impact of science on public health and policy,” she said. “My work in an academic setting, coupled with my involvement in pharmacology research, highlighted the importance of integrating scientific understanding with policy-making, especially in areas like pharmacovigilance/drug safety.” 

Johnson is pursuing a Ph.D. in basic medical sciences in the Department of Pharmacology. Under the mentorship of Thomas Rich, Ph.D., a professor of pharmacology and member of the USA Center for Lung Biology, and Silas Leavesley, Ph.D., a professor of chemical and biomedical engineering, she is studying the intricacies of second messenger signals by employing advanced imaging and analysis techniques to understand how information is encoded within these signals.  

“Santina’s research is both timely and scientifically provocative,” Rich said. “However, there is more to being a complete scientist than experimental design and research goals. We as scientists also need to engage with the community. The ASPET Washington Fellows Program will provide Santina with practical experience in the development and implementation of science policy at the national level and help her to develop the skillsets to be an effective ambassador for science in her community.”  

She plans to use the ASPET Washington Fellow opportunity to further her interests in health and science policy with a focus on pharmacovigilance. 

“My focus will be on ensuring that drug safety and monitoring policies are informed by robust scientific evidence and tailored to address real-world challenges,” Johnson said. “Through this, I hope to contribute to the development of policies that not only safeguard public health but also enhance the effectiveness and reliability of treatments.” 

Through the program, fellows learn how public policy decisions are made and how to advocate effectively on Capitol Hill and in their home districts. Ultimately, they develop the skills and insights to become future leaders in science.  

ASPET is a 4,000-member scientific society whose members conduct basic and clinical pharmacological research in academia, government, pharmaceutical and biotech companies, and nonprofit organizations.

Register for virtual Tools for Teaching in Medical Education

The Office of Faculty Affairs and Faculty Development invites Whiddon College of Medicine faculty and residents to join the Tools for Teaching in Medical Education program.  

This six-session course is offered on Tuesdays from 2 to 4 p.m. 

While this series has already begun, the format is switching to 100% virtual as that is the easier method for the majority of attendees. Register for the Zoom meetings for the five remaining sessions.

• Jan. 24: Backward Course Design: Part 2
• Feb. 7: Interactive & Active Learning: Technology in the Classroom
• Feb. 21: Assessment Design & Feedback
• March 6: Writing & Analyzing Exam Questions
• March 20: Small Group/Bedside Teaching

Sessions are taught by faculty and staff from the Whiddon College of Medicine and USA Health. Two hours CME per session will be provided. 

Contact Amanda Arnold at akarnold@southalabama.edu for more information.