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 Marine Biomedicine and Environmental Sciences | Alumni | Petra A. Tsuji
Petra A. Tsuji

Mentor: Dr. Tom Walle

Education:
B.S, Johann Wolfgang Goethe Univ, Germany .1990,
M.S. , Johann Wolfgang Goethe Univ, Germany, 1994
M.S., College of Chareston 2002

Graduated: 2007

Postdoctoral:
Cancer Prevention Fellowship program at NCI, Bethesda, MD

Research
My research focuses on chemical-induced carcinogenesis caused by environmental contaminants, more specifically the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon benzo[a] pyrene. In humans and marine animals this compound has been shown to cause adverse biological effects through the formation of DNA-adducts: benzo[a]pyrene is a lung carcinogen in humans and a liver carcinogen in fish. I am interested in mechanisms involved in the prevention of formation of such adducts though common dietary flavonoids. For this purpose I am using human lung and fish hepatic cell models. Preliminary investigations have found certain flavonoids to dramatically reduce the DNA-binding of benzo[a]pyrene in cell culture. The mechanisms involved in this inhibition are the main topic of my research.

Awards

2006 MUSC College of Graduate Studies Student Leadership Award

2006 SC Alliance for Cancer Chemoprevention – best poster presentation (3rd place)

2005 SigmaXi Award – best poster presentation at Student Research Day (1st place)

2005 MUSC Student Research Day – best poster presentation (1st place)

2003 Carolinas Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry – best platform presentation (3rd place)

2002 MUSC Student Research Day – best poster presentation (1st place)

2004 EPA STAR Fellowship for Graduate Environmental Study (August 2004 – August 2007)

2002 NSF-funded “Low Country Partners for Inquiry Teaching and Learning” Fellowship (1 year)

2001 Joanna Foundation Fellowship (University of Charleston, SC)

 
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