Fall Seminar Series: Dr. Juliet Daniel, McMaster University
The Case for EDI in Research: Kaiso and Cancer Disparities in Women of African Ancestry
Juliet Daniel, PhD Professor and Associate Dean of Research & External Relations Faculty of Science, McMaster University
Despite increased awareness, early detection and novel therapies in the past 30 years, breast cancer remains the 2nd most common cause of cancer death in women worldwide. The protein Kaiso is implicated in many aggressive human cancers and more recently, Kaiso has also been implicated in disparities in cancer incidence and outcomes in Black people compared to other ethnicities. To learn more about Kaiso’s role in aggressive cancers, we are using molecular cell biology techniques, mouse models and human breast tumour tissues from Caribbean and Nigerian women. Our goal is to determine how Kaiso promotes tumour spread and how it contributes to the racial difference in cancer incidence and/or outcomes in Black women. By clarifying Kaiso’s role in these processes in breast and colon cancer, we will better understand these diseases and contribute to the development of better tests and therapies to treat them. Our findings will also help decrease the disparities in cancer outcomes worldwide.
Date: Monday, November 20th, 2023
Time: 3:00 PM
Location: Room 254 (MC) Mechanical Engineering Building