I completed my PhD in the lab of Prof. Paul Timpson at the Garvan Institute in Sydney, Australia. My thesis work involved the development of a dual imaging approach for intravital microscopy in live mouse pancreatic tumours, tracking the changes in oxygen content using nanoparticle reporters, while performing parallel Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging Microscopy of therapeutic response using a Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) reporter for PI3K pathway activity. For my postdoc, I moved to the lab of Prof. Johanna Ivaska at the University of Turku. Here, I established several three-dimensional (3D) in vitro assays and image-based screening systems to expand out understanding of breast cancer invasive progression. Establishing my lab at the University of Helsinki in September 2024, we have begun to investigate the relationship between the tumour microenvironment (TME) and metastatic progression.
I completed my Master’s program in the lab of Prof. Pil-Hoon Park at the College of Pharmacy, Yeungnam University, Korea, where I investigated the mechanisms underlying the anti-breast cancer effects of raloxifene, a selective estrogen receptor modulator. My research demonstrated that mitophagy induction and aryl hydrocarbon receptor-mediated redox signaling contribute to the suppression of breast cancer cell growth by raloxifene through regulation of inflammasome activation. Currently, my research focuses on developing ECM spot arrays derived from native organs to more accurately model the tumor microenvironment. I am particularly interested in how age-associated changes in ECM composition influence therapy resistance and breast cancer progression.
I completed a bachelor’s program in Biology at the Lebanese American University in Lebanon, where I had the opportunity to explore various research topics related to the genetics of rare diseases, primarily Familial Mediterranean Fever, tinnitus, and plasmonic photothermal therapy in cancer. Currently, I am pursuing a Master’s of Science in Genetics and Molecular Biosciences at the University of Helsinki. My research will focus on identifying intravasation sites to support the development of pre-metastatic biomarkers in Breast Cancer. I am particularly interested in studying why cancer cells intravasate at specific loci in the bloodstream and whether distinct signals at these sites facilitate this process.