CMIB Degree

PhD

Mentor(s)

Vilma Yuzbasiyan-Gurkan

Research Interests

My main research interest is cancer research, especially in areas of drug discovery, and experimental xenograft animal model. My PhD project consists on the identification of novel therapeutic drugs for histiocytic sarcoma in dogs. Using a platform of high throughput screening, candidate compounds were selected across an extensive library of drugs, to further testing in in vivo models. This approach enabled us to not only identify treatment strategies, but also to better understand the mechanisms of tumorigenesis, and the potential genetic mutations associated with histiocytic sarcoma. I have also
interest in cancer biomarkers in a clinical context. We are currently studying circulating tumor cells in dogs with osteosarcoma as a biomarker for prognosis and response to treatment.