2006 Early Career Investigator Grant Recipient — Denise C. Connolly, PhD

Project Summary

Research in the laboratory of Dr. Connolly is aimed at the development, refinement and analysis of mouse models of epithelial ovarian cancer. Mouse models of human cancers provide researchers with valuable tools to identify and study the causes of tumor initiation and progression and the means to identify genetic and immune modifiers that are important in the disease process. Also, mouse models of human cancers provide a way to identify and evaluate strategies for prevention, detection and treatment of disease. Dr. Connolly recently developed a model of epithelial ovarian cancer in mice. She is using this model to identify additional molecular alterations that may contribute to disease, to develop in vivo imaging strategies and to evaluate potential therapeutic agents. Current studies also are focused on the development of other genetically relevant mouse models of human epithelial ovarian cancer by manipulating human genes, such as BRCA1, p53 and STAT3, known to play a role in human ovarian cancer in the mouse.

Bio

Dr. Denise Connolly is an Assistant Professor at the Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia, PA.