Anopa Makovere
Undergraduate Student(2024-) Sattler College 26' |
Background: Having a Zimbabwean background, and having briefly lived in Uganda, I was from an early age drawn to focus on infectious diseases and health policy. The health landscapes of both Zimbabwe and Uganda are quite similar, with most mortalities attributable to these issues. However, after leaving home and gaining broader exposure, I realized that many of these dire health challenges can be effectively addressed through good governance and education, as evidenced by the reduction in AIDS and other infectious diseases' mortality rates.During my time at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in a thoracic oncology clinic, I had an epiphany: cancer is a universal malady affecting virtually all demographics. Unlike infectious diseases, where extensive research has led to significant progress and solutions, cancer research still has many gaps that need filling. The field is far from saturated, offering ample opportunities for meaningful contributions. My greatest concern is that the demographic most affected by cancer possesses the most experiential knowledge to pass on to subsequent generations. The loss of these individuals constantly deprives society of valuable wisdom.
This realization prompted me to dedicate my academic pursuit to the less explored but consequential field of oncology. I have personal experiences with close and remarkable individuals who succumbed to cancer. I am motivated to commit my time to research, believing that even tiny incremental contributions to the oncology field can be built upon by others in science. It is in memory of those wonderful people that I feel driven to dedicate my efforts to this field, with the hope that future generations will suffer less and live longer. Research Interests - I joined the Sethi Lab this year coming from the Burns Lab (also here at DFCI) where I was part of a team working on determining the preferred cut site for the endonuclease (EN) domain of the ORF2 protein of the LINE-1 retrotransposon. Part of what brings me here is that the Sethi Lab is a situated at the advancing frontier that separates the basic and clinical sciences, and it is my desire to experimentally participate in its efforts to make findings that will reduce mortality caused by gastroenteric cancers. My current project focuses on the characterization of the interactions between SOX9 and certain components of the BAF complex. My main emphasis is on the creation of deletion constructs of SOX9 that show variations in the transactivation domain and then observing how they interact with BAF complex components. Beyond Lab - I have a developing love for cycling which is fueled by several obvious reasons. I am also an avid chess player who is always down for a game. I love the game because of the mental exercise it gives and because of how its rules make it a version of a universal language that anyone who can learn can play and use as a medium of dialogue. Contact: [email protected] |