Dr. Biggane is originally from Minot, ND. She received her B.A. in Biology from Minot State University in 2013 and received her PhD in Biomedical Sciences from the University of North Dakota in 2019. Dr. Biggane’s research interests broadly focus on examining the health impacts of environmental toxicants. Food, water, soil, and air are all common sources of exposure for the toxicants being studied, illustrating widespread risk of exposure. Specifically, she aims to address toxicants that are of most concern to tribal communities and examine their impact on cancer initiation and progression. 

She is currently working on projects to assess gene expression changes across various stages of bladder cancer, including an environmental model of cadmium exposure, and the impact of exposure to plastic resin degradation products in liver cells. She is also starting a collaborative project investigating the cell biological responses to plants that are important to Native American culture. Student involvement in research is a top priority in Emily’s laboratory. Students grow and maintain cells, perform experiments and data analysis, present research at conferences, and are involved in manuscript preparation. Emily also provides data support for faculty at UTTC and tribal partners throughout the region.