Jay Campbell's Cancer Researcher Story
“My hope is that this research will impact cancer patients with triple negative breast cancer by providing them with more effective and kinder treatments than those currently available.”
Jay Campbell, 28, is an Irish Cancer Society-funded PhD student from Gorey, Co. Wexford. Their research project is looking at identifying potential new treatment targets for people with triple negative breast cancer, by focusing on a protein called Serum Response Factor (SRF).
“Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a disease with very limited treatment options, and those that are used are often ineffective and have many negative side effects,” says Jay.
“Previous research in our lab and others has identified a protein called Serum Response Factor (SRF) that plays a role in driving cancer cell survival in TNBC.
“My project aims to better understand the role that SRF is playing in breast cancer by working out what pathways it is involved in, what proteins it interacts with, and determining if any of these proteins could potentially be used as targets for new treatments."
"Once I have identified the proteins that SRF interacts with, I will test drugs that target them to see if this is effective at killing cancer cells.
“I will also test these drugs in combination with existing treatments for TNBC with the hope that they will be effective at lower doses, therefore reducing the negative side effects of these treatments.”
With a strong science background, including an undergraduate degree in pharmacology, Jay has always been fascinated by science. After experiencing their own health issues during their studies, Jay wanted to go into biomedical research.
“During my undergraduate degree, I had to take long time out while I was dealing with my own chronic health issues."
“I found that when I came back to college I had not only a renewed interest in science, but also a new perspective from my time as a patient. That led me to want to impact the field of biomedical research as positively as I can.”
Jay was drawn to cancer research specifically through a desire to help people affected by cancer.
“The main reason I got involved in cancer research is because it is an area that is full of unmet need,” says Jay, “and I want to contribute as much as I can to improving treatment options for patients with cancer.”
