The Effect of Tau on Cervical Cancer Cell Cycle and Neuroblastoma Cell Cycle

Sandi Kelada, Verrazzano Class of 2025, completed major in Biology

At the start of my research journey, I wanted to be involved with cancer research. However, I was unable to find a position in a cancer research lab. I was also interested in neuroscience but was not sure of all the opportunities here at CSI. When one of my professors connected me with Dr. Alonso, I learned of all the projects she has been working on with Alzheimer's disease, which I found fascinating. She asked me to decide on what I would be working on and as I was researching the options, I came across new literature discussing correlations between Alzheimer's disease and cancer. I was very excited to explore this further because it combined my cancer interest with neuroscience. I presented this to Dr. Alonso and she loved the idea and I was very grateful that I could explore this new link further.

My overall capstone experience was very positive. I learned many new things and was pushed outside my comfort zone. Researching this new correlation was at times challenging since these discoveries were relatively new. However, I was pushed to work harder and collaborate with other people as well as my mentor in order to construct my methodology and perform my experiments. I am very grateful for all the people that helped me and were there for me during this journey and how they were always available to answer any questions I had. This experience also increased my knowledge and love for biology and its relevance in medicine. I learned about and studied major disease processes that are common, and it I saw the relevance of research and how drives clinical medicine.

While I was able to gather many data in this project, there is still more to be done. Further research looking at other cancer cell lines could include studies that could be compared with one another. Additionally, staining protocols as well as techniques such as western blot are necessary to determine the biochemical bases of these correlations. Additionally, statistical tests could also be done to figure out the significance between the different cancer cell lines. More research needs to be done to find out the reasons behind the differences in the intensity between them.

Ultimately, I am very grateful that I had this research opportunity. It not only furthered my research goals but has also better prepared me for a medical career. I have learned to be persistent, to ask difficult questions, and to not be afraid of asking for help when I need it. I will always remember to stay creative and innovative and explore new connections and discoveries even among the seemingly mundane.