Hollings Horizons Magazine Fall 2023 - Magazine - Page 25
The mentors were matched with students
based on the interests they indicated on
their applications. Some worked in wet labs
— the type of research environment that
uses cell or tissue samples — and others
worked in cancer control, analyzing data to
uncover patterns or trends.
“I didn't have any computer training before.
Basically, I knew how to write a Google doc.
Now I know how to use Excel and SEER*Stat
and how to analyze data,” said Coutino,
referring to the National Cancer Institute’s
Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results
program.
Jackson cultured cells and used flow
cytometry, a technology that counts and
identifies cells using lasers. Her lab partner,
Tahiem Watkins, a North Charleston High
student, worked on the same project but used
clonogenic assays, a method for investigating
whether cells can survive and reproduce.
Once Coutino was paired with Garg, both
under the supervision of Ashish Deshmukh,
Ph.D., co-leader of the Hollings Cancer
Control program, Coutino then identified
a research question to pursue under the
overall umbrella of Garg and Deshmukh
and their research team.
Program participant Jackson was paired with
Steven Dixon, a research specialist in the
lab of Gavin Wang, M.D., Ph.D., where she
began working on a triple negative breast
cancer research project.
Although some of the morning lectures
touched on triple negative breast cancer,
Jackson had to do a lot of work on her own
to get up to speed on the lab’s work, she said.
Dixon said it was a learning experience for
all involved.
“We have been looking at
tamoxifen and how oxidative
stress plays a role.”
“I felt young until I started mentoring them.
They make me feel old! But it's giving me a
different perspective on how to be a mentor,”
he said. “I can see that they've developed a
research mindset, which has been really great
to see. They're a lot more confident, a lot
more comfortable with everything that we do
in the lab now.”
She decided to study disparities in
incidence and mortality rates for the six
cancers caused by HPV between people
living in persistent poverty and those
who don’t.
Deanna Jackson
Jackson said she wasn’t sure about the
program at first because it doesn’t exactly
match with her career goal, but she’s happy
she did it.
“My biggest takeaway has been stepping
out of my comfort zone. It's taught me to do
things I normally would never do.” ◗
TO P :
Deanna Jackson
working in the lab
LEFT:
hollingscancercenter.musc.edu
SC CHEER YES '23 students
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