Meet Camille Trinidad of the University of Kansas Medical Center. A member of Dr. Andrew K. Godwin’s lab, the fourth-year PhD student is currently with us training at the Proteomics course. This is Camille’s first course at CSHL and the Filipina is interested in eventually adding the Programming for Biology course to her CSHL course repertoire.
What are your research interests? What are you working on?
I study the role of extracellular vesicles in ovarian cancer development and metastasis. Part of my work also involves looking for potential biomarkers in extracellular vesicles for the early detection of ovarian cancer, which is a significant unmet clinical need in this area.
How did you decide to make this the focus of your research?
I have always been interested in immunology, specifically in cancer immunotherapy. I initially wanted to work on CAR-T cells but due to unforeseen events I had to move to a different area. I do appreciate working on the early detection of ovarian cancer, since treatment has been shown to be more effective if this disease is detected earlier.
How did your scientific journey begin?
I am from the Philippines, and was initially interested in science because of my teachers back in grade school and high school. In college, I really enjoyed the experience of working in a translational lab, in spite of all the difficulties one can imagine, conducting science in a resource-limited environment. I think that having a string of good mentors and labmates was a big factor in my decision to pursue science.
Was there something specific about the CSHL Proteomics course that drew you to apply?
Mass spectrometry has recently become a very attractive and interesting method for profiling the vesicles that I study. This course covers both the theoretical and practical aspects of MS really well, so it was an easy decision to apply.
What and/or how will you apply what you’ve learned from the course to your work?
The course has been amazingly helpful for both experimental design and working with the current algorithms for proper and rigorous data analysis/interpretation. By taking this course, I can definitely better set up experiments for our lab’s current and future projects.
What are your takeaways from the course?
Experimental design is crucial.
There are many ways to interpret the humongous data sets we generate, but we must be very careful in analyzing the results and be transparent with how we arrive at any conclusions.
If someone curious in attending this course asked you for feedback or advice on it, what would you tell him/her?
I highly recommend taking this course if you want to delve into proteomics work, since this covers everything; it is really intense. The best part is that the instructors are all very approachable and knowledgeable. We run several programs that are instrumental in both data acquisition and analysis. Also, the instructors are very accommodating when you have several questions about your own projects
What do you like most about your time at CSHL?
CSHL is absolutely beautiful. With tons of space right next to the water, I really enjoy walking around and fishing.
Camille received financial support from Regeneron to cover a portion of her course tuition. On behalf of Camille, thank you to Regeneron for supporting and enabling our young scientists to participate in training courses where they expand their skills, knowledge, and network.
Thank you to Alison for being this week's featured visitor. To meet other featured scientists - and discover the wide range of science that takes part in a CSHL meeting or course - go here.