Sarah Henretta/Dr. Cristofanilli - Week 1

I had a very exciting and eye-opening first week! 

I started the week by meeting the lab manager of the Cristofanilli Lab, Dr. Carolina Reduzzi. She introduced me to the general lab space and discussed some of the background information pertaining to my research and shadowing experience. Specifically, I learned about the different methods which circulating tumor cells (CTCs) can be used for detecting early stage breast cancer and predicting patient specific response to different treatment options. 

In addition to general background, I learned more information about my particular research project. For this project I will be working closely with Dr. Laura Munoz-Arcos to develop an automated analysis thresholding system to determine if patient CTCs register as positive or negative for important bioindicators of a patient's response to specific therapies. 

Outside of the lab and in the clinic, I had the opportunity to shadow Dr. Cristofanilli and Dr. Munoz-Arcos as they met with patients and discussed disease progression, treatment efficacy, and future outlooks. I viewed PET scans of patients before and after treatment and witnessed some remarkable recoveries. I also attended a molecular tumor board through a collaboration between Dr. Cristofanilli and a medical team in Chile. 

Furthermore, I observed the social impacts a breast cancer diagnosis can have on a patient as we discussed patient's fertility options before and during cancer treatment, dealing with potential drug side effects like hair loss, and treatment options such as mastectomies. Overall, I was struck by the empathy and understanding Dr. Cristofanilli and Dr. Munoz-Arcos displayed to the patients while still conveying information clearly and accurately. My time shadowing reminded me of the motivation behind my research and how important it is to incorporate the patient's needs and perspectives into science.






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