Reinvigorating the War on Cancer

Join chemistry professor, Dr. David Muddiman, his research team and interdisciplinary collaborators as they explore the “secrets” of human health and disease. Use sophisticated, novel instrumentation and model organisms in conjunction with statistics/ bioinformatics to help unravel the code.

As a researcher you will work with Dr. Muddiman at NC State to help unravel the complex biological language of disease as we transform our ability to effectively diagnose and treat human conditions. The war on cancer began nearly 50 years but progress has been thwarted by the sheer complexity of how this devastating disease develops. Importantly, this risk of developing cancer in the US population is about 1 in 3 people; clearly, this constitutes a critical and urgent health concern.

Over the past two decades, there have been tremendous technological advances that allow us to detect and quantify biological molecules derived from complex biological specimens such as blood or tissue. Moreover, there are novel chemical and instrumental approaches that are being developed at NC State University and, in conjunction with model organisms and advanced statistics, we are emerging as leaders in human health and disease. This is a multi-disciplinary approach spanning many fields, any one of which could be the emphasis of your fellowship. Your project may be the synthesis of novel chemical species to enhance our ability to detect and quantify glycans (synthetic chemistry); the continued development of novel and molecularly specific ionization source for tissue imaging (engineering and chemistry); analyzing current data and understanding it using pathway analysis (biology); or working with data using advanced statistical methods (Math-Statistics). These represent a few examples of how your fellowship can be tailored to broaden your knowledge in your area of interest and expertise.

As part of your summer externship you will learn about technology, biology, model systems, statistics and systems biology by actively participating in the laboratory working side-by-side with undergraduate and graduate students as well as postdoctoral fellows. Experience real-world impact through discovery, creativity and translation, and then translate this inspiring experience into a dynamic curriculum designed to engage the next generation of scientifically literate citizens.