Academics
Students
Christa Rainville '08 - Cancer Research Looking for Answers
- CLASS: 2008
- MAJOR: Biochemistry
- INTERNSHIP: Biochemistry Research Assistant, Office of Glenn Tisman, M.D., Oncology & Hematology
For Christa Rainville, interning with a local oncologist meant being on the forefront of current cancer research.
"I have always been interested in medicine," said Rainville who interned with cancer specialist Dr. Glenn Tisman during her senior year. "Learning about cancer constantly stimulated my interest."
As an assistant she participated in research comparing vitamin D levels in the four breast cancer phenotypes. The findings of this research demonstrated that the most aggressive type of breast cancer (basal-like or triple-negative) had the lowest levels of the vitamin. An abstract of the research was accepted for publication and Rainville did a related poster presentation at the 2008 meeting of the American Association of Cancer Research (AACR) and to the Presbyterian Intercommunity Hospital Tumor Board. A full-length journal article is currently under review in the Nutrition and Cancer Journal.
"We've also begun research into vitamin D levels between the different stages of prostate cancer patients," she said.
Rainville's post graduation plans include graduate school in genetic counseling or physician assistant school.
"First, though, I am taking a year off to continue working for Dr. Tisman, get the prostate cancer research published, and get more clinical experience," said Rainville.
