July 2, 2015

Investigating the role of fibulin-3 in breast cancer metastasis

Hi! My name is Michelle Noonan and I’m a second-year MSc candidate in the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology at Western University. I work in the laboratory of Dr. Moshmi Bhattacharya, located in the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry at Western.

Michelle Noonan & Dr. Moshmi Bhattacharya

Our lab works on better understanding the mechanisms regulating breast cancer metastasis, the spreading of cancer cells from the primary tumour to distant tissues. Metastasis is the most lethal attribute of cancer, and currently there are no available drugs that target metastasis.

My project focuses on a protein called fibulin-3, which is found in blood and the matrix surrounding the cells of the body. My research is examining how fibulin-3 remodels the surrounding matrix to regulate breast cancer cell migration and invasion, two processes necessary for the metastatic spread of cancer cells. By using human breast cancer cell models, pre-clinical models and patient samples, my work is investigating a role for fibulin-3 in regulating breast cancer metastasis.

Thank you to BCSC for your trainee support!
– Michelle Noonan, student researcher
Pamela Greenaway-Kohlmeier Translational Breast Cancer Research Unit, London Health Sciences Centre

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