Zachary Nagel, PhD, will present his research, “DNA Repair Capacity in Lymphocytes is Associated with Clinical and Biological Features of Lung Cancer”. DNA repair plays a critical role in the risk of cancer and side effects following radiotherapy. Individuals vary in their ability to repair DNA damage, but this variability has been difficult to predict from genomics and the available functional assays. His laboratory has developed cell-based fluorescence multiplex host cell reactivation (FMHCR) assays for measuring DNA repair in multiple pathways. They have used FM-HCR to obtain multi-pathway DNA repair landscapes in lung cancer patient lymphocytes at the time of diagnosis and following a course of radiotherapy. They observe pathway dependent interindividual variation in baseline DNA repair capacity that associates with both pneumonitis and tumor mutation burden. Furthermore, they observe changes in DNA repair capacity following radiotherapy and find that individuals with diminished DNA repair are more likely to experience pneumonitis. Collectively, the lab’s data illustrate the potential for using FM-HCR in lymphocytes to tailor individual patient treatment plans based on their ability to repair DNA damage.
Dr. Nagel is an Associate Professor of Genomics and Cancer Biology at the Harvard T.H Chan School of Public Health.

*30-minute mixer with presenter immediately following seminar.
Light refreshments will be served.

HYBRID SEMINAR:
• LOCATION: Paley Hall, Room 340
• ZOOM LINK: https://temple.zoom.us/j/98630841057

*Suitable points will be given to graduate and undergraduate students for attending*