Lung Cancer Awareness Month at the GCI

November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month! Check out our interview with PhD candidate Promita Ghosh from the lab of Dr. Morag Park to learn about her ongoing lung cancer research at the GCI.

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), which makes up about 80% of all lung cancer cases, is a highly heterogeneous disease marked by various histological features and multiple genetic alterations or mutations. My research focuses on one such mutation known as “MET exon 14 skipping” (METΔex14) which occurs early in lung cancer development and is highly aggressive promoting tumor progression, therapeutic resistance, and relapses. There are also currently no definitive clinical features or biomarkers that can predict this mutation. The overarching goal during my doctoral program is to bridge the gap between the fundamental understanding of the oncogenic signaling of MET∆ex14 and improving targeted therapy in patients. My doctoral research investigates the biology of lung cancer patients with this mutation and will dissect the molecular mechanisms which make METΔex14 a potential oncogenic driver in NSCLCs. In the coming years I anticipate that my research findings will offer valuable insights into the regulatory mechanisms governing METΔex14, improving patient selection and the efficacy of MET-targeted inhibitors in clinical practice.

You can reach out to Promita at promita.ghosh@mail.mcgill.ca