Tee Up for Tots is proud to sponsor Jessica Cantrell as the 2005 Courtney Page Zillman Fellow.
Currently pursuing a PhD in cancer biology, Jessica is grateful for being named the Zillman Fellow. “This is a great honor,” says Jessica. “This fellowship gives me the opportunity to make a difference in the world, while I pursue the work I love.”
Jessica is working on a cutting-edge project in the lab of Steele Center investigator Emmanuel Katsanis, MD, Professor and Louise Thomas Endowed Chair for Pediatric Cancer Research. The project involves studying the effects of a promising chaperone protein anti-cancer vaccine known as CRCL (Chaperone Rich Cell Lysate). According to Jessica, “Other investigators have used single chaperone protein vaccines, but we’ve come up with a way to enrich for multiple chaperone proteins. Thus, our vaccine shows promise of being more effective.”
Jessica currently is investigating CRCL’s mechanism of action to understand how the immune system is stimulated. “By understanding how CRCL stimulates the immune system, we hope to combine the vaccine with traditional chemotherapy to produce a more effective way to treat cancer,” explains Jessica.
The Steele Center is proud of this energetic, positive and creative researcher with ambitions to help people with cancer through research. The Zillman Fellowship provides the necessary foundation for this young investigator’s career path.
“The Zillman Fellowship enables me to do what I love and what makes me happy in life,” says Jessica. “I learn new things every day, and it is fun to use my imagination to think of innovative projects to help make a difference in the lives of families battling pediatric cancer. Without Tee Up For Tots, none of this would be possible.”
Jessica Cantrell |
