Hannah Pook
DPhil, NDM, Ludwig Institute
Epigenetic mechanisms governing interactions between cancer and microenvironmental cells
My research focuses on how epigenetic factors can influence communication between cancer cells and surrounding microenvironmental cells. The tumour microenvironment (TME) has come to the forefront of cancer research in recent years and TME-cancer interactions are now known to contribute to multiple aspects of cancer progression. While extensive epigenetic remodelling has been shown to be a key change within microenvironmental cells, how this occurs and whether it may be influenced by cellular pathways remains to be determined.
How could your research ultimately benefit patients?
Research has now shown that TME-cancer interactions contribute to various aspects of cancer initiation and progression, including invasion and metastasis. A better understanding of these interactions may therefore reveal new mechanisms which could be therapeutically targeted to halt cancer growth and spread.
About Hannah
I am currently taking time out from my medical degree to pursue research. During my undergraduate BA in Medical Sciences I specialised in cancer and genetics, including completing a third year research project on the role of histone reader MLLT1 in triple negative breast cancer. Outside of research I have taken on teaching roles with St. John’s College, including giving tutorials on genetics to first year medical students and my current role as a lecturer in Academic Skills.
What does your DPhil experience look like day-to-day?
My day-to-day experience is usually quite a lot of time spent in the lab – especially the tissue culture hood and microscope rooms! But I also get to work with an amazing team of Post Docs and students in a very social atmosphere.
If you had to name one thing, what is your greatest achievement since starting your DPhil?
Receiving seed funding for a project proposal developed entirely by a team of DPhil students I was part of.
Accolades and Key Publications
“Epigenetic mechanisms governing interactions between melanoma cells and keratinocytes”, Pook, Tagore, and White, Poster Presentation, Oxford Cancer Annual Symposium, 2024
“Emerging Epigenetic Therapies: Protein Arginine Methyltransferase inhibitors”, Pook and Pauklin, Epigenetic Cancer Therapy 2E, 2023
“Mechanisms of Cancer Cell Death: Therapeutic Implications for Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma”, Pook and Pauklin, Cancers, 2021