Discovering Population-Specific Epigenetic Markers for Pancreatic Cancer through Examination of Chromatin Accessibility

As I gathered data to analyze, I ran into the striking problem of racial bias in all available samples and the disparity in early diagnosis and survival rates between the African American population and European individuals. As a woman of color and youth activist myself, I wanted to start a project that studied cancer epigenetics in the context of population-specific health disparities to begin revolutionizing early and equitable diagnosis methods and treatment options. As I pursued my research into the following summer, I began to see parallels between epigenetic variates and sex-specific higher incidence as well. My research focus shifted to epigenetic markers correlated with larger population-specific incidence (both racial and sexual), and how understanding these epigenetic markers could eventually aid in population-specific early diagnosis procedures … I believe the most interesting and impactful next question to further the intersection of epigenetic oncology and population epigenetics is why and how do population-correlated cancer-causing epigenetic variations arise, and what can we do to prevent them? … In 50 years, my hope is that researchers will have used this epigenetic data to develop comprehensive and accessible early diagnosis models for at-risk populations, isolated population-correlated oncogenic epigenetic markers, and started to develop epigenetic therapies for these markers (which, because epigenetic modifications are reversible unlike mutations, have already been shown to be highly effective in the clinical setting).

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