Gina Duronio, B.S.
Research Technician (2018 -)
B.S., Northeastern University '20

Background: I was born and raised in Chapel Hill, North Carolina where I lived up until moving to Boston to attend college at Northeastern University. At Northeastern I double-majored in cell and molecular biology and in mathematics, and during undergrad I had the chance to work in three different laboratories. I began working with Nilay as an undergraduate researcher in 2018, and started in his new laboratory as a research technician following my graduation from Northeastern this past May. I am hoping to obtain an MD-PhD in the future and pursue a career as a physician-scientist.

Research Interests/Projects:  Over the past three years, I have worked closely with Nilay to uncover the functional significance underlying recurrent SOX9 mutations in colorectal cancer. My work has also led me to think more deeply about how the aberrant activation of stem cell pathways and improper tissue differentiation can promote the evolution of cancer. As a result, I have become particularly interested in the topics of cancer cell plasticity and tumor heterogeneity. I believe that gaining a better understanding of the processes which allow cancer cells to alter their transcriptional programs more readily than normal tissue could be a critical component to overcoming the clinical challenges of therapy resistance and metastasis.
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Fun Facts and Interests: A fun fact about me is I am a trained ballet dancer and have been practicing various types of dance and involved with performing for 20 years! Outside of lab, I regularly exercise and practice yoga, read often, and like to try new restaurants and take out (especially vegan and vegetarian foods!) with friends.

Contact: GinaN_Duronio@dfci.harvard.edu