Gloria Dawodu is a junior Biology major in the College of Agriculture and Life Science. Under the mentorship of Nozomi Nishimura and Chi-Yong Eom, Gloria’s project focuses on the metastatic progression of breast cancer and its relationship with increased blood clotting/clotting disorders observed in cancer patients. According to past research, the production of coagulative factors such as tissue factor may affect processes like angiogenesis and the function of tumor-associated macrophages. This would make coagulation a possible factor that promotes metastasis in advanced stages of metastatic breast cancer. She aims to create a model of metastatic breast cancer in a female mouse model using two-photon microscopy. This would help establish key protein-protein interaction, cell-cell interaction, etc. that show the connection between coagulative products, tumor environment, and metastasis. Such biological models would serve as foundational for future experiments investigating the effect of anticoagulation drugs on metastatic tumor progression. After graduating from Cornell University, Gloria hopes to apply to graduate school with a focus in Microbiology and/or Food Science. With an interest in the intersection between food production and microbiology, Gloria hopes to apply her future research to product development and food safety. This career path is inspired by Gloria’s interest not only in the pathological aspects of the microbial world but also in how the exploitation of microbe biology has changed the culinary experience.
