Affiliations
Research Associate, Monell Chemical Senses Center
Education
Ph.D., Organic Chemistry; University of Pennsylvania
Laboratory Of
Dr. Bruce Kimball
Research Summary
My research is focused on identifying the volatile biomarker signature of ovarian cancer in human plasma. Controlled studies demonstrate that dogs can detect ovarian cancer sample from normal ovarian sample with above 95% success rate by using their highly developed sense of olfaction. We will determine the most prominent volatile organic compounds (VOCs) of the unique order signature of early stage ovarian cancer using analytical organic chemistry. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) techniques are ideal for identification and quantification of mixtures of VOCs found in the cancer sample. Our ultimate goal is a development of a practical diagnostic system for early stage of ovarian cancer to save people from the deadliest gynecologic oncology.
Keywords
olfaction, volatile organic compound, analytical organic chemistry, gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, ovarian cancer
