Closing the Project, Opening Doors
In my final week, I wrapped up the last workshops, distributed the bilingual pamphlets, and reflected on the progress participants had made. One student told me she now felt confident enough to explain her symptoms at a clinic without relying entirely on her children. This project reinforced my commitment to a future in medicine focused on reducing healthcare disparities. Language access is a form of healthcare access, and working with CSC showed me how education and community support can transform lives. I am grateful to the Laidlaw Scholars Foundation, the Georgetown University Laidlaw Scholars Programme, and my advisor Hadassah Wong at CSC for guiding me through this journey. Most of all, I thank the participants who trusted me with their stories and showed me the resilience of immigrant communities. I plan to continue to work at the CSC during the school year and strengthen my bond with the Chinese DC Community.
I am an incoming Junior double-majoring in Biology and Chinese. My research project for this summer focuses on the galectin-3 binding protein (G3BP). According to the Center for Disease Control, in 2020, over 1.6 million new cancer cases were reported and 600 thousand people died of cancer. While cancer cases are decreasing, for every 100,000 people, there are still 403 new cancer cases.
My research this summer focuses on G3BP, a protein that was identified as an interacting partner for extracellular 6-O-endosulfatase Sulf2. Interaction with G3BP inhibits Sulf2 activity leading to changes of heparan sulfation that is involved in numerous biological processes including cancer cell proliferation, migration and/or invasion. Generation of Gal3BP F357W mutant is recommended by C. Barinka for interaction analyses; we will generate the F357W mutant and test the impact of the mutation on Sulf2-G3BP interactions and the effects on Sulf2 activity.
This research entails the generation of F357W G3BP mutant by site-directed mutagenesis, subcloning wild-type and mutant sequence into lentiviral transfer vector, generation of lentiviral particles in HEK293T cells, transduction of target production cell line, purification by His/Twin-Strep affinity, impact on interaction, impact on enzymatic activity by HPLC-UV-based assay using heparan sulfate mimetic. Through this research, I hope to characterize the interaction between G3BP and Sulf-2 and generate resources (recombinant proteins) for further studies including migration/invasion assays, and utilize the above resources and data.
I am also interested in researching health disparities concerning cancer treatment; unlike other racial groups, cancer is the leading cause of death for Asian Americans. Due to language and cultural barriers, Asian Americans often have lower rates of cancer screening and a lack of proper treatment. Beyond my research in the lab, I am also interested in healthcare access regarding cancer diagnosis and treatment.
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