T32 CPCTP Pre-doctoral Fellow
Mr. Andrew Brane became a pre-doctoral trainee June 1, 2020. After joining the Biology department as a Master’s student in the Spring of 2018, his commitment to both coursework and research swiftly moved him onto the PhD track. Upon admission into the CPCTP program, he had already completed a majority of his department’s coursework, including courses on biostatistics, teaching, and responsible conduct of research.
Outside of classes, he is interested in the epigenetics of cancer as well as how epigenetic effectors can influence gene expression, cancer progression, and cancer prevention. These interests are explored in his two main research projects. The first of these involves the study of puberty as a critical period for genetic and epigenetic changes that can influence oncogenesis later in life. Within this project, chemoprotective dietary phytochemicals are administered to transgenic mice during puberty, and their effect on cancer initiation and progression is measured. The second project looks at the molecular effects of these phytochemicals as well as the relative importance of the specific genes they modify to cancer cell phenotypes. Utilizing CRISPR-dCas9 technology, Andrew aims to both mimic and ablate the epigenetic effects of these phytochemicals, providing an important proof of principle as well as elucidating genetic and epigenetic targets for cancer prevention. In addition to this research, he has published one first authored paper and one coauthored paper involving cancer epigenetics during his time at UAB.
Mentors
Publications, Abstracts & Posters
- Brane AC, Tollefsbol TO. Targeting Telomeres and Telomerase: Studies in Aging and Disease Utilizing CRISPR/Cas9 Technology. Cells. 2019;8(2):186. Published 2019 Feb 21. doi:10.3390/cells8020186
- Rahman MM, Brane AC, Tollefsbol TO. MicroRNAs and Epigenetics Strategies to Reverse Breast Cancer. Cells. 2019;8(10):1214. Published 2019 Oct 8. doi:10.3390/cells8101214
Contact
Email:
brane@uab.edu