Kasey Couts, PhD
Specialty
Rare Melanomas, Tumor Biology, Signaling Pathways, Microbiome
Location
University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Division of Medical Oncology, School of Medicine
Program Objective
The main focus of our current research is to understand and improve anti-tumor immunity in rare melanomas, particularly mucosal melanoma. We are studying signaling pathways in tumors that are critical for response to immunotherapy, and we are trying to determine the factors that influence these pathways such as tumor epigenetics and the microbiome. We are also using multiple different technologies to characterize immune cells in rare melanoma tumor microenvironments to create a model for tumor-immune cell interactions.
Program Description
The student will work closely with senior researchers in the lab, as well as the PI, to evaluate the effects of epigenetic modifying drugs on tumor cells and immune cells through cell culture expreriments, western blotting, qRT-PCR, and other techniques. The student will attend weekly melanoma meetings which includes presenting data and journal club articles.