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Kanita Chaudhry

2x

Finalist

1x

Winner

General information

Hobbies & Interests

  • Research
  • Teaching
  • Mentoring

Reading

-

Bio

MD/PhD candidate at the Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences. Aspiring pediatric oncologist and physician-scientist.

Education

University at Buffalo

Doctoral degree program (PhD, MD, JD, etc.)

2016 – 2026

Majors:
  • Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology
  • Medicine

University of Vermont

Bachelor's degree program

2009 – 2013

Majors:
  • Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology

Miscellaneous

Medical school interest:
Yes

Career

  • Undergraduate Researcher

    Research · University of Vermont

    Jan 2009 – Jan 2013

  • Summer Undergraduate Researcher

    Research · University of Vermont

    Jan 2010 – Jan 2010

  • Summer Undergraduate Researcher

    Research · University of Pennsylvania

    Jan 2011 – Jan 2011

  • Summer Undergraduate Research Fellow

    Research · Rockefeller University

    Jan 2012 – Jan 2012

  • Post-Baccalaureate Research Fellow

    Research · National Institutes of Health

    Jan 2013 – Jan 2015

Miscellaneous

Dream career field:
Medicine
Dream career goals:
physician-scientist in the area of pediatric oncology
Has nursing license:
No

Future Interests

  • Volunteering
  • Philanthropy
Saswati Gupta Cancer Research Scholarship
Winner
As an M.D./Ph.D. student at the Jacobs School of Medicine, my ultimate dream is to become a physician-scientist specializing in pediatric oncology. I am currently pursuing my third year of medical school studies. I recently completed the PhD part of my dual-degree program at the Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center where I studied neuroblastoma, a deadly pediatric cancer affecting nerve cells of the body. More than half of high-risk neuroblastoma patients will ultimately die from progressive disease, highlighting the critical need for new therapy options. Under the direction of my mentor, Dr. Anna Bianchi-Smiraglia, I identified and characterized the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) as a new tumor promoting-protein in neuroblastoma. Excitingly, my work revealed clofazimine (CLF), an already FDA-approved drug for leprosy, as a potential new treatment for neuroblastoma in laboratory models. We plan to test the safety and effectiveness of clofazimine in high-risk neuroblastoma patients in clinical trials. Ultimately, I aspire to lead a laboratory as a principal investigator and study the molecular basis underlying pediatric tumors, including neuroblastoma. In addition, I plan to care for childhood cancer patients and their families in the hospital. My unique M.D./Ph.D. training background in both medicine and cancer biology will allow me to ask clinically relevant questions in the lab and bring my discoveries in the lab back to the patients in the clinic. My goal is to find novel therapies for pediatric cancers such as neuroblastoma in the lab, and ultimately run clinical trials. I want to be a physician-investigator at a leading academic hospital, where I can make the greatest impact on patients while being the most caring and compassionate provider that I can be.
Kanita Chaudhry Student Profile | Bold.org