Understanding Signal Transduction Pathways Controlling Cellular Growth

Wednesday, February 28, 2018 7 PM
CLU Gilbert Sports and Fitness Center, 130 Overton Court, rooms 253/254 (second floor)

Cancer cells are notorious for uncontrolled growth and invasiveness. Within the human cell, proteins "talk" to each other and practice checks and balances to ensure that communication is tightly regulated. This signal network encompasses thousands of proteins which form a network and lead to the establishment of signal transduction pathways. Growth becomes deregulated if these pathways are over-active or suppressed. A slight change at the DNA level could lead to a change in the protein levels or activity which will directly impact signaling and consequently lead to aberrant growth. Understanding the molecular mechanisms behind growth regulation is a major issue in the design of suitable targeted therapies which could be utilized to either curtail the spread of the cancer or stop growth altogether.

Nikita Parmar

Dr. Nitika Parmar received her PhD in Molecular Biology from UCLA and subsequently completed a Post-Doctoral fellowship at UCLA after which she was appointed as an Assistant Project Scientist. Her prior education was received in India where she did her BS (Honors) in Biophysics followed by an MS in Biotechnology and MTech in Biochemical Engineering and Biotechnology from the Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi.

Nitika’s fields of interest include molecular biology, genetic engineering, and DNA recombinant technology. Her research focuses on understanding signal transduction pathways controlling cellular growth (normal and cancer) as well as studying protein damage in response to aging. She has utilized various organisms such as bacteria, worms and plants as well as Drosophila and mammalian cell lines to address her research.

She enjoys the excitement of research but tremendously enjoys teaching and interacting with students as well. She feels that molecular biology has no limits and that its benefits can be tapped with an unending potential- the only requirement being a sense of intense motivation and enthusiasm!