Shae Komant
Introduce yourself...
I am completing the second year of my Master's program in Medical Microbiology and Immunology. I am studying the ability to create a virus that cannot only target cancer cells for destruction but can also reveal their presence to the immune system. When I am not working with viruses in the lab, you can find me playing baseball, hitting the slopes, or taking care of my peacocks in my acreage. I am extremely excited to share my research with this year's 3MT competition!
What are you researching and what do you hope comes out of your research?
Currently, I am creating and testing different Vaccinia viruses as vessels to both infect and kill cancer cells, while also alerting the immune system to the presence of the cancer cells. My hope for this research is to create novel, safe, and effective cancer therapies that can benefit numerous people battling cancer. This therapeutic virus could also prove to be an important tool for creating vessels to combat other diseases or the potential to create effective vaccines.
How did presenting a Three Minute Thesis (3MT) help explain your research to the public?
Through the 3MT, I was able to take a step back from my research and think about its greater impact on cancer therapeutics and why it is an important topic to be studying. This allowed me to think about how I can relay this importance to the public and create excitement for novel therapies using strategies that may not be as well known in the mainstream as well. I hope my 3MT will bring some interest and enthusiasm to science, and how we can find new ways of tackling some of our most serious diseases.