After witnessing cancer’s impact on his mother and grandmother, Grant Brooke works to improve cervical cancer care through more personalized treatments.
For biology doctoral student Grant Brooke, cancer research hits close to home. After watching both his mother and grandmother battle cancer, he was inspired to focus his efforts on studying cervical cancer.
“Had there not been researchers dedicating their lives to improving the prevention and treatment of cancer, it is very likely I would not have memories of either of them,” Brooke said.
Current cervical cancer screening methods cannot reliably distinguish between high-risk and low-risk patients. As a result, many women undergo invasive treatments that may be more extensive than necessary.
Guided by Katsura Asano, professor of biology, Brooke’s research centers on a cellular marker that could help guide doctors to more precise treatment decisions. He is examining drugs that could target this marker and improve precision cancer medicine.
“My hope is that this research will improve patient outcomes and reduce the global burden of cervical cancer,” Brooke said.
Using the Sarachek Travel Award, Brooke will attend the Translational Control meeting at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, where he will work with experts and receive valuable feedback on his work.
By Kate Ellwood