Morgan Amoils
Morgan Amoils
Class of 2023
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Project: Validating RNA-seq results on the top differentially-expressed genes upregulated in oncogenic GNAS pancreatic ductal organoids
Project: Validating RNA-seq results on the top differentially-expressed genes upregulated in oncogenic GNAS pancreatic ductal organoids
Mentor: Dr. Ridhdhi Desai, BIDMC Harvard Medical School
Mentor: Dr. Ridhdhi Desai, BIDMC Harvard Medical School
Entrant, Regeneron Science Talent Search ‘23
Entrant, New York-Metro Junior Science and Humanities Symposium ‘23
Entrant, Terra NYC STEM Fair ‘23
MC, ASR Symposium ‘22
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), the most common form of pancreatic cancer, has a very high mortality rate because it is usually diagnosed at a late stage when there is a lack of curative treatment options. Thus, it is important to be able to detect the disease earlier on. One way this can be achieved is by monitoring the lesions that come before invasive PDAC, such as intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMNs). A gene known as GNAS has been associated with IPMNs, yet the role that GNAS plays in IPMN development still remains largely unknown.
The goal of my research was to uncover the role of GNAS by investigating which other genes show an increase in expression in the presence of GNAS. In other words, the goal was to identify the genes affected downstream of mutated GNAS in order to pinpoint the role of GNAS itself in IPMN development. I accomplished this through the use of biologically accurate models known as organoids, grown with and without mutated GNAS. I first analyzed RNA-Seq data, which shows the changes in gene expression within the entire genome between the two groups of organoids. Next, I conducted a literature review to narrow down the genes that would need validation by looking for any previously known connections between the upregulated genes and cancer. For the selected genes, I then validated the changes in gene expression observed in RNA-Seq through the use of a second gene-expression technique known as qPCR which looked for a change in expression of a specific gene between the experimental and control organoid groups.
The qPCR results indicated that a second gene known as EYA4 shows an increase in expression when GNAS is mutated. While it is still unclear how GNAS contributes to IPMN development, EYA4 could potentially act as a novel treatment target if the development of the cancer is slowed when EYA4 is inhibited. This is significant because, unlike inhibiting GNAS, inhibiting EYA4 could be a feasible treatment option since EYA4 does not play as crucial a role in the cell as GNAS.
Morgan Amoils senior project overview.MOV[online] Morgan Amoils Symposium Poster 2023 Final.pdfQ & A with Morgan
Q & A with Morgan
Most satisfying aspect of your research project?
Being able to convey my project to an audience. After writing my paper and speaking to my mentor using very precise terminology, presenting to my peers allowed me to zoom out and better understand the wider significance of my project as a whole. Answering my peers' questions and seeing them have their ‘aha moment’ as they explained my project back to me was truly the most gratifying part of my research experience because it meant that I had successfully communicated something that I am passionate about to others.
What inspired you to choose this topic?
Initially, I was studying bronchopulmonary dysplasia, a lung disease found in infants. And then, my grandmother was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Despite her unfortunate diagnosis, my grandmother was lucky enough to have been diagnosed relatively early on and was eligible for surgery. She inspired me to pivot my research focus to look into potential treatments and methods of early diagnosis for the thousands with pancreatic cancer who are not as lucky as she was.
What influence did the older ASR classmates have on you?
They motivated me. Watching them succeed made me feel so proud to be a member of a community that they also called home. Their encouragement and advice pushed me to become both a better writer and presenter. After seeing the influence that they had on me, I truly hope that I too can motivate and encourage the younger students.
What’s a misconception that people have about ASR or ASR students?
It's that ASR is an individual-based, competitive environment. While ASR is indeed a very individualized class compared to most high school classes, being in ASR is like being in a second family. Despite differences between topics and projects, the ASR community chooses to find the similarities between our experiences rather than turning the differences between us into a competition. Despite seniors partaking in outside competitions, the ASR community itself does not seek to pin students against one another. Instead, students can constantly be seen giving advice and learning from each other when it comes to improving papers, presentations, posters, and more.
Most important thing you’ve learned in ASR?
Persistence. Whether it be sending out 20 mentor inquiries without getting a response or reevaluating the main goal of my research, ASR has taught me how to push forward when faced with daunting challenges.
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