Episode 24: Undergraduate Student Researcher Nagaharini Venkoba Rao

[00:00:00] We are a resource for learners, including every member of the live strong cancer. Institute’s on track educational pipeline from middle school to residency. We are a growing collection of interviews, talks and experiences that uncover the myths and the uncertainties of cancer and careers and cancer in order to empower and inspire generations of thinkers and leaders.

This is cancer uncover. An education and empowerment podcast by the live strong cancer institutes.

Hello, welcome to cancer uncovered. This is Kristin Wynn with the live strong cancer institutes today we’re featuring one of our incredible students from our 2022 summer undergraduate research fellowship. Or as we refer to it. The [00:01:00]surf program it’s surf up to 20 undergraduate students with backgrounds currently underrepresented in oncology are invited to come to UT Austin for the summer and conduct cancer research alongside a UT faculty member and their lab team.

Students work on a specific research project that they present at the end of the summer, three times a week, students come together to take part in discussions with cancer experts across campus to learn about the endless career and research opportunities within cancer. The Stron cancer institutes just wrapped their fourth summer of surf with 10 amazing undergraduate students.

Today, we’ll hear from one of those students and her preceptor, Dr. Steven. Director of bioinformatics with the live strong cancer institutes. So my name is Naga Harini Benko, and I’m right here from Austin, Texas. And I’m currently attending the university of Texas at Austin and I’m majoring in biology and planting [00:02:00] honors.

And after my undergraduate work, I aimed to go to medical school. That’s the hope at the moment. Why Harini did you wanna be a part of the surf program? Why spend your summer studying cancer? . Yeah. So I think the primary reason why I chose to join CF was just due to that passing. Yeah. And was my family friend earlier this year.

And when I was young, I lived in Minnesota and had a family friend group that consisted of a couple of families that we’ve known essentially since I was born. Um, we were still very much and still are very much very close to all the families in that group. And we even moved India together when I was in middle school.

and though we’re all in currently different places, some in India, some in the us, uh, our connection and our friendship has still endure 20 years and plus, and that will never change. And at the beginning of this year, um, one of my family, friends, her mother actually passed away from breast cancer. And I think this news was just to put it in simple words, just [00:03:00] plainly shocking.

Um, cuz we had never even. Of her even being diagnosed with breast cancer, she was a very private person yet. It was something that we felt like we should be able to know, or we should have even seen the signs. Yeah. Um, of knowing yet this was just comp a complete sudden shock to us. And I think it was after this incident where I was like, , if I’m gonna be pursuing a career in the medical field, I wanna do something that’s personal as well.

And that has relevancy to what I’ve experienced in life already. And which is why I chose to apply, to serve, to just get that first part of education about what cancer is and what I can do to even help other people to not go through and experience something so sudden and devastating as cancer. You’ve had more than one person in your immediate circle, go through a cancer diagnosis and a, and ha in [00:04:00] a cancer desk.

Is that right? Yes, that is true. When I was in middle middle school, one of my family, friends from that same group, she passed away from ovarian cancer. And, um, this was the second passing, um, due to cancer that happened within that friend group. And this time it was for breast cancer. And I think that was a connection between both of them.

They didn’t really let the cancer diagnosis mess up their lives or affect their lives to an extent that they had to change everything about the way that they do. They kind of let it be as it was. And then they got treated or trying to get treated. But at the, at the end, they kind of were just dealing with it and at their own pace and didn’t want it to affect their.

it was like, she let her cancer diagnosis hold her down. Mm-hmm and that was her personality before her cancer diagnosis, she wanted to live life to the bulls. She did everything that she wanted to do, and she wouldn’t, and [00:05:00]she lived life the way she wanted to. And I’m so proud and glad that that continued after her cancer diagnosis as well.

Yeah. That for me just shows that like the strength in community, the strength of a person is much more than just a label of you have cancer. Absolutely. Absolutely. So personally, with my experience with finding out about these cancer diagnoses, um, for both of these women, And their deaths as well within my family friend group, I think I just can’t help, but wonder that there is something missing.

Like there was something that doesn’t seem to connect in terms of whether they found out too late about their cancer or if there was another problem at play mm-hmm and. India is a very, is very much still a developing country. And there are many rural places still there that don’t have access to technology and even [00:06:00] just awareness about cancer mm-hmm

And, and I think being aware of that condition and being educated, just plays such a great role in being able to save lines in the first. so even in urban areas, like even though there is not knowledge and my, my friends who live in urban areas within India, mm-hmm , there was also an aspect of like cancer is something that just happens to other people.

Mm-hmm it won’t really happen to me. Mm-hmm like, it’s something that you hear about on the news you read about in books. Mm-hmm, , it’s not something that you go through or you personally experience, but I think that was for me. So eye opening and the first place was that, oh, wow. Like I have people like there’s people who I’m, I’ve grown up with.

And I literally know for like my entire life that have been affected by this disease. And in some way it was demystifying. Yeah. To me. And I think that [00:07:00] was that’s something that awareness and education plays a great role in it. Just demystifying this idea. That cancer. Isn’t just something that does happen to other people.

Sure. It does. Sure. But it also has relevancy and can be and can happen to you or to the people that you love. But I do think that there are a lot of factors at play that could have changed in outcome. You know, I think it compounds because it’s two women in the same, very small community. Mm-hmm, sort of within years of each other.

Yeah. So yeah, I mean that. One, one diagnosis and death alone. Would’ve caused someone to ask all these questions right. Of like, you know, how did this happen and why did it happen? But then to happen to a second woman, you know, within the same group, just, I think reinforces those questions of what, what was missing here, what are the gaps?

And so it makes sense to me that as a, as a smart young woman, who’s interested in the [00:08:00] sciences that you would pursue answering those questions. Right. What was not available to them that could have been made available or you know, what accessibility was missing. So, yeah. Yeah. Like since I was in middle school, I always wanted to go to medicine.

I’ve always wanted to be a doctor. And most of my family, despite they were actually software engineering, they were all on the technical side. And this is just something I was kind of drifting away from. the rest of my family kind of have been pursuing mm-hmm and it was primarily be because of the connection that I had with people and me enjoying connecting with people that kind of drew me to medicine in the first place, that patient care aspect.

Gotcha. And I think that particularly with cancer and the passing of both my family friends, it’s just given me a way to unfortunately, misinterpret what cancer is. Mm-hmm . everything regarding cancer, such as prevention methods, just dealing with cancer as a disease and also potential [00:09:00] treatments at the end.

I’ve heard in school that like, oh, don’t go out in the sun without sunscreen. Or you might get skin cancer and you’ll like die for minute or, yeah, the same thing with smoking don’t smoke or you’ll, you know, be at risk for lung cancer. It all seemed to culminate to one sort of idea that cancer leads to death mm-hmm

And when pairing that with my personal experiences, I think I’ve just grown to have, and that idea kind of stuck with me in my head. Yeah. And I think that the purpose of me even wanting to join surf or be a part of surf was so I could get educated. I haven’t had these experiences. I’m someone who’s interested in the medical field.

Yeah. I think it would only be right. That I get all the facts and then make my conclusion or assumptions or whatever, based on that. Tell us about your experience with surf thus far. You’re about halfway through where? Um, at the beginning of July, 2022. So give us the high [00:10:00] points of the low points. What are your big takeaways now that you’re halfway through?

Yeah, so I’ve really, really enjoyed my experience with surf so far. And I think it’s the, it’s all about the education aspect of it. I’ve been exposed to a lot of avenues of research on the patient care side, even on health policy and health equity on all these different areas that are related to cancer.

I’ve been able to gain access to information on all of that. And personally, that was the most. Invigorating and essential parts of this program and what I wanted to get from this program in the first place. And I think that the biggest takeaway was how I was the research that I was doing would be able to impact patients.

That’s what was the biggest takeaway from me personally. And I’ve also enjoyed learning about like the different sub-specialties Ben cancer. [00:11:00] and, uh, as well as like surgical aspects, the treatment aspects, and been able to meet a lot of different people and speakers who are really interesting. And I think I’m most grateful to have been able to work with my managers, Robert in the wet lab, as well as Danielle in the computational portion.

I think that I’ve learned a lot about work ethic as well. Learning about that research isn’t organized. Like you just don’t, you just don’t need to be, oh, I I’m gonna do whatever I want. There’s a specific method to, okay. What question do I want to answer? How do I go about answering that? And I think that has been super important and eye opening for me, at least to be able to see that okay.

Like that, that there’s so much diligence that goes into. Getting into a research career of any sort, and I’ve really appreciated my mentor’s help in, um, extrapolating that tell us what you’re working on [00:12:00] this summer. So what is your research project about? Yes. So upon applying and choosing a preceptor for serves, uh, my main interest was to be able to work in the wet lab as well as the computational portion.

I. Don’t have any experience with coding, but it was something that I looked forward to learning through this program. And so my work when this program is just contingent on that interest of being in the wet lab and in the dry lab. And so I have two separate projects that I’m kind of working on. The wet lab portion is more of, and where I do bench work is more of an validation of previous data that we’ve collect.

so it’s in validation of enhancer ions, um, through CRISPR. I, so just to pick that apart, CRISPR is a genome editing technology, uh, that, which is a part of the DNA, which cont, which is part of the, the cell, which contains all our DNA. And it allows researchers to [00:13:00] make changes to our DNA, um, through this tool and consequently modify G function.

So a preservation is what we call these changes to the DNA that we make. Um, they can be big or they can be small if they can be in turn knockout of the gene, um, or in cancer. And so essentially there’s previous data that we’re using as our baseline from the project where there’s multiple random perturbations that were done to the genome.

And we were to see that, that some of the perturbations that were done, some led to cell laity, which is cells dying. And others led to cells, a proliferating, which was just them staying alive and continuing to stay alive after the perturbation was. So we were just investigating and validating these per patient, just to see the effects that we had seen before.

And the preci to actually were the sex that act that they said they were, um, in terms of contributing to cell lethality or cell viability. So as far as then [00:14:00] translating that to what it means in the world of mm-hmm cancer treatment, right? Yes. It sounds like then you could use this type of information to say we could use CRISPR.

In this particular way to either stop cancer from happening. Maybe explain that piece of it. Like how does this connect back to cancer treatment and improvement of treatment? Yeah, for sure. So by even identifying these different perturbations and what the effects these CRISPR edits are making on the GM, we can potentially use that for cancer treatments of any sort like these are the target.

Of where we can kind of specify when these drugs need to like pit yeah. In order for, you know, cancer to be cured or to be completely never moved from the body of stem. So I think that that main part about using that, using the information that we get from this experiment in this project, um, in potential treatments and just even [00:15:00] wide, like widely knowing more about cancer in general.

Yeah. And seeing how these different perturbations. Would be, was a big part of our project. Just that knowledge as well. Yeah. Um, and on the computational side. Yeah, it, it’s more of, um, it’s a different project. It’s more of an original project based on some, um, previous work done by my mentor, Dr. Um, Daniel Osorio.

And the main goal of that is to identify transcriptional differences, which are basically D gene express. Um, between patient tumor cells and cell lines. So cell lines are the artificial patient cells within the lab that we work with and identifying these differences and seeing whether there are differences to begin with and what those differences even mean in the context of cancer research and treatment as a whole.

And I think the main importance of that project is. it can be used to, you [00:16:00] know, if we, once we find these differences between cell lines, what we’re working on in lab and what they are in patient tumors, um, would that affect the way we treat cancer? Mm-hmm is the treatments that we are doing in lab and the direction combination treatments that we’re doing in lab effective in patients mm-hmm

And I think being able to be aware of those differences, those gene expression differences, trans those transcript differences between patient tumor cells and the cell lines would just be. Who contributing to how we are even approaching designing drug treatments in the first place. Yeah. Women lab.

Awesome. Given where you are in your academic career, what would you tell your 15 year old self about school and career? Yeah, so I, the way that I feel like I would answer this best would probably be from using a quote. And a piece of advice that I got when I was at the end of high school. [00:17:00] And this was my senior year in my English class.

And we were writing an essay there in English and my teacher, she had told the class that the best way to write a paper, especially one where you’re arguing something or persuading something is to not just, you know, spread yourself too thin with many different little. But just focus on like one or two big points that are really strong and then kind of delve deep into those points and then kind of explain yourself and then be, that would create a more stronger argument than just glossing over many different ones.

Yeah. I think that I kind of took that advice from high school in, in an English class while writing an essay and was able to apply that in my real life. What I would wanna say to my 15 year old self would be that you can try different things. It’s great to explore. And I would encourage people to explore their careers, but not for others.

And [00:18:00] not just for putting things on your resume or being, or what other people do when, what other people encourage and kind of just doing everything just for the sake of others. Yeah. Trying to find what I was interested in and exploring. My career options for myself. And I would think that by doing it to yourself and being not being influenced by what others say or what, what should be done, mm-hmm, like you’re unique in your own way.

You have your own goals, you have your own idea of what you want to do when you grow up and what you want to pursue. And that doesn’t need to be something that’s super rigid or super. And so just pick a couple of different ones that you, a couple of different avenues that you feel passionate about, explore them deeply, just like you did.

Like when you’re writing an essay, you know, kind of explore them deeply, look to see what you’re interested in, whether this is something that you’re interested [00:19:00] in and eliminate any background noise. Yeah, from that conversation with yourself when you’re exploring these careers. So yeah, there’s so many, there’s so much opportunity in the world.

And I think once you get to college and you get to, and you start seeing that there, that there’s no, you don’t have to just be a doctor. You can be a PA you can be, there’s so many different career options that yeah. That haven’t been created, that students should be reassured there have been others and there aren’t going to be others in the future.

Are in stay positioned by UR. that are still navigating life mm-hmm and you know, like right now as 20, I still am, but I’m sure that there’s people much older who are still, also navigating life. Absolutely. And it’s fine to do that. Yeah. That’s, that’s how, you know, that’s how we grow as people. Absolutely.

And that’s how we find what we want to do. Absolutely. And I. You know for you right now in this moment, surf is part of that journey [00:20:00] for you, right? Like you’re trying this on and you’re seeing, you know, you’re diving more into this one thing to see what this is like. Right. But, but I know, you know, over the years there have been students that go, you know what?

I did a summer worth of research. I learned a lot and I don’t wanna do anymore, you know? So it it’s, I think to, to be open to that, I’m trying this on, this is a, an experiment, right? Like this is a life experiment, as well as like a research, you know, cancer research moment to say exactly. Uh, and that’s why I think surface is such a valuable.

Moment for students of, we hope you love this, but if you don’t, that’s also great information, right? Exactly, exactly. Forward. It’s all good. Right? I think exactly. Just the information itself, just being educated, at least for me, that’s what I wanted to get out of this program was just to be able to be educated.

Exactly. I think. Oncology is a great field. And as of now, I definitely have it on my list of things to [00:21:00] consider as future special teeth and stuff. And it’s fine. It plans change. It’s fine. It’s like other things happen. Yeah. You’re not stuck. exactly. We’re not stuck after chatting with her. Reini we cut up with her preceptor and mentor for the summer, Dr.

Steven ye and asked how everything was going. This is Dr. Ye’s fourth summer participating in the surf program. So I was interested in talking to him about the importance of mentorship within research. Harini I would say she is a very talented student. I would first recognize that, you know, it’s actually our honor to have her in this program and she has been doing really well.

So she’s working on, I would say two. Of cancer research. One is, and she is learning how to use CRISPR genome editing technology. On the other aspect, Perini is also working on [00:22:00] computational analysis of cancer, big data, especially from. Cancer patients. And she is trying to use her own masters and design tools to understand, uh, cancer patient data, to explain potential patient.

Symptoms and potential drug response differences. She did share with us that she is sort of doing these, these two projects, which I thought was really not something I had heard of before with the serve students sort of taking on dual projects at the same time. Yeah, I would, I would add to that, I think, thanks for bringing that up.

So actually it is her intention to work on both, you know, We lab, um, research on cancer questions as well as dry lab data analysis, which is quite rare, you know, for summer students forget about even graduate student, even, um, [00:23:00]senior researchers. It’s quite rare situation, but. I was asking her the first day, I said, are you sure?

You know, this is challenging. This is difficult, you know, to learn in a short time and then to be able to do well in both, um, aspects, most of the people are doing just one aspect of the two sides. And then she’s saying that she’s very interested. She would like to try her best. I said, okay. We do have a resource.

We do have a mentor, you know, for both sides to help you out. And then, you know, she started and then which, which went extremely fine, you know? Nice. And she is doing work really well. I heard from, um, her graduate student mentor, as well as where, you know, on the dry lab is a post on mentor VO. Both of the people who.

For mentors and say variable things about her so far. I’m so glad that you have that opportunity for her, that you’re in [00:24:00] this really all unique position to sort of offer both to a student. So, so thank you for that. And thank you for supporting her in both of those, those projects. Yeah. I’m excited to, um, you know, to absolutely train talented students like.

Um, it’s also a good contribution from the student side to our research programs. I think, you know, the, the, well, the more, um, you know, contributions from the student side, the better we can get our research to the next level. So tell me more about your work as a mentor. I know that from being in the same department with you over the last several years, you are constantly mentoring students and you have lots of students that work with you and, and the work that you do and your lab work.

Why is taking on mentorship on top of. Everything else that you do, right. You’re extremely busy. Why is it important to take on mentorship of students as well? I would say, you know, I learned [00:25:00] this also along the way, uh, especially in the past few years as the surf program develops as well. So at the beginning, I thought, you know, only senior students or senior researchers could do really well contributed more to our research discovery.

But recently, um, you know, we really identified so many undergrads that are doing really well. They have their own unique contributions, you know, to the research moving forward. We’re always really grateful to preceptors, to, uh, faculty members who are willing to take that time and make that space for, for, for undergrads and for younger students in general.

So really thankful for that. You’re welcome. We, we also appreciate the opportunity to work with them as well. Many of the serve students that we work with so far, so they are not only talented, but they are also [00:26:00] extremely interested and hardworking. So they are really a very important, I would say, integral.

Components of this, of our research programs. I think, you know, a lot of times they are doing well and then they are able to generate, you know, meaningful results, um, based on our guidance and based on the research question that. They are pursuing, uh, of course, a lot of times it’s really from their own interest and they are really genuinely interested.

Um, I think people are, these students are really doing well and a lot of them are even, um, you know, in touch with us after their program as well, you know, to see whether they are able to contribute to publications and, uh, wrapping up some sort of results in the writing format. Uh, we really, um, you know, appreciate that communications as well.[00:27:00]

And, uh, you know, here actually, we are absolutely in support of their career development as well. Uh, when they, uh, apply for the next step in medical school applications or graduate school applications, I typically also. I’m very willing to write a strong recommendation letter for these students. And they are able to really, you know, step up to go to dream school or whatever, you know, the next destination that they, they choose to.

We can facilitate not only cancer research, but also the education of next generation of cancer researchers doing better and better as well. Thank you to Harini and Steven and his lab team for their time. Expertise and dedication to education and cancer research. If you have questions for Steven Harini or the team at the live strong cancer institutes, about the summer undergraduate research fellowship, you can visit us [00:28:00] online@dellmeddotutexas.edu surf applications will open for the summer of 2023 in November of 2022.

If you have other questions about cancer or careers in cancer, that we can help you uncover. Please email us at live strong cancer institutes, Dell med dot U, texas.edu. You can follow our chair, Dr. Galil Eckhart on Twitter at S Galil Eckhart. Eckhart is spelled E C K H a R D T. Please make sure to subscribe to our show and share it with a student teacher, friend, or family member until next time.

This is Kristin Wyn for cancer uncovered. Thank you for listening and learning with us.