Breast cancer progression prediction – New possibilities for the GEDI chip

As part of my Biomedical Engineering Immersion term this summer I stared a new project with Dr Linda Vahdat and Dr Maureen Lane at Weill Cornell Medical College. The idea is to use our already established GEDI technology for a new application; to predict breast cancer progression and recurrence.

From previous work by our collaborators we know that certain rare circulating cell populations change in abundance in a characteristic way prior to breast cancer progression or recurrence. These cells will be captured and enumerated using our GEDI microdevices and automated image analysis software. We aim to establish this as a biomarker for breast cancer progression and to develop the technology towards clinical impact.

Support from a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Med-into-Grad Fellowship will allow us to continue this work in 2012/2013.