GMS Student Spotlight: Rose Zhao
Rose Zhao is an MD/PhD candidate at Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine. She is pursuing her PhD research in the lab of Neil Ganem, PhD, associate professor of pharmacology, physiology & biophysics and medicine. Her research focuses on understanding the causes and consequences of chromosomal instability in cancer cells. Rose grew up in Massachusetts and attended Boston University for her undergraduate studies. Learn more about Rose below!
Tell me a bit about your journey to Boston. What brought you to Boston University?
I grew up in Acton, Massachusetts, and went to BU for college. As an undergrad, I loved living in the city of Boston and experiencing the culture of the students and faculty at BU. I knew BU would have the resources and opportunities for my continued education.
What drew you to your program at BU?
I chose to join the MD/PhD program at BU because I was looking to get strong clinical and research training to work towards a future career as a physician-scientist. I was especially drawn to the medical school at BU because of the strong clinical focus on caring for the underserved and approaching patient care with a multifaceted consideration for all the factors that affect a person’s health and wellbeing. I think this passion is evident in all the students and faculty at BU and makes it a really engaging place to learn. At the same time, BU also offered strong opportunities to continue my research training, and I really appreciated the highly collaborative and collegial culture of the labs and departments here at BU.
Did you always know you wanted to work in this field?
During college, I initially was interested in a career in the medical field, because I had always been interested in the life sciences and using our scientific knowledge to improve people’s health. During my undergrad years, I was fortunate to participate in several research projects in different labs, and these experiences made me realize how new discoveries in basic science can fuel therapeutic discoveries. I became more interested in working at the intersection of research and medicine, where physician-scientists often use clinical observations to drive new scientific questions and communicate scientific findings back to patients.
Can you tell me about some of the work and/or research you have completed in your program?
I am pursuing my PhD research in Dr. Neil Ganem’s lab in the Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Biophysics. Our lab focuses on understanding the causes and consequences of chromosomal instability in cancer cells. One of the mechanisms by which cancer cells can develop chromosomal instability is by undergoing whole-genome doubling, a genomic alteration that occurs in ~40% of all cancers. In my thesis work, I am interested in understanding how cells from different mammalian tissues behave after undergoing these whole-genome doubling events, and I use a variety of techniques including mouse models, cell culture approaches, and molecular biology assays to answer these questions.
How does your work in the program fit into your larger goals in your field?
One of the goals of developing cancer therapies is to find treatments that will target cancer cells while sparing normal healthy cells. My work aims to better understand the basic biology of whole-genome doubled cells, which may identify novel targets to identify and treat whole-genome doubled cancers. To me, this work highlights the value in basic science research, as there are so many aspects of human physiology and disease biology that are still poorly understood.
What have been some of your favorite memories during your time here?
I have really enjoyed getting to work with all the medical and graduate students I’ve met during the different parts of my training. I especially am grateful to work in a fun and collaborative lab, and some of my favorite memories include lab trivia nights and beating Neil at fantasy football.
Are there any mentors who have helped you with getting to this point?
I have been very fortunate to work with many amazing mentors in my training thus far. One of my first experiences in biomedical research in college was working with Dr. Matt Layne in the Department of Biochemistry. Working in Dr. Layne’s lab not only allowed me to learn many foundational molecular biology techniques but also taught me how to think like a scientist and ultimately motivated me to continue pursuing a career in science. Dr. Layne is now the Assistant Dean of Research and is an excellent mentor for countless other medical and graduate students at the medical campus.
What advice would you give to a GMS student following a similar path?
I think the one of the best pieces of advice I received going into my program was to keep an open mind when considering research opportunities and to prioritize finding a mentor and environment that would be a good fit for my learning and working style. So much of the value in these training programs comes from having a good mentor and lab environment to work with, and I think this sometimes gets overlooked when students are choosing labs. Additionally, there are so many exciting opportunities to explore, and often students find that they are passionate about research areas that they hadn’t ever thought about before starting their training.
What do you like to do around Boston for fun?
I enjoy running, playing miscellaneous racquet sports (tennis, squash, pickleball, etc.!), and trying new breweries around Boston.