2011 Mentored Investigator Grant Recipient — Tsz-Lun Yeung, PhD

Project Summary

How ovarian cancer tumors progress and spread is an active area of research. By understanding these biological processes, researchers can use them to characterize the aggressiveness of a tumor, its ability to spread, and possible ways to prevent their actions. Recently, Dr. Yeung has identified a protein called ELF3, the levels of which are not regulated properly in ovarian cancer cells. In his study, Dr. Yeung will analyze how ELF3 plays a role in cancer cells invading neighboring tissue by using cells grown in culture and animal models. His findings may ultimately lead to novel drugs that work against this protein.

This grant was made possible by the generous support of Tell Every Amazing Lady About Ovarian Cancer, the Louisa M. McGregor Foundation.

Bio

Tsz- Lun Yeung, PhD, is currently a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. He received his bachelor and doctoral degree from the Chinese University of Hong Kong. During his graduate training his research focused on the roles of transcription factors in carcinogenesis. His current research seeks to understand how the transcription factor ELF3 involves in ovarian cancer pathogenesis. He is also interested in the study of how ovarian cancer cells interact with the tumor microenvironment.