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“I remember thinking, ‘This is so fascinating.’” Basmina Parmakhtiar After high school, Basmina came to UC Irvine, drawn by the excellent undergraduate biology program. Now a graduate student in biological chemistry, Basmina assists Robert Burger with his pioneering research in ovarian cancer. “In many ways, our understanding of ovarian cancer is still quite primitive,” Basmina says. “There are very few methods for early detection. Most often, ovarian cancer goes undiagnosed until it has reached advanced stages.” Pinpointing the role of specific genes in endometrioid ovarian cancer could lead to a prognostic factor for early detection. “Dr. Burger’s research potentially offers specific -— versus generalized therapies,” Basmina says. “Down the road, drugs could be developed that target this type of ovarian cancer.” The Queen of Hearts Foundation, based in Newport Beach, helped fund Robert’s project. Since its debut in 2000, the charity has raised nearly $1 million for ovarian cancer research. “Without organizations like Queen of Hearts, scientists could not find treatments for debilitating diseases like ovarian cancer,” Basmina says. “Funding is difficult to come by these days. People forget that medical advancements evolve from research, and research requires an investment.” — Bill Ross, University Advancement |
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University of California, Irvine • Irvine, CA 92697 |
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“In third grade, I made a model of a cell using a toy egg for the nucleus,” she laughs. “I remember thinking, ‘This is so fascinating.’”