Sarah Coffey
Program: Cancer Biology
Current advisor: Rotating in the lab of Angela Hirbe, MD, PhD
Undergraduate university: Princeton University
Research summary
I conducted immunology research in the Hafler Lab at Yale School of Medicine from September 2020 to June 2022. My research focus was characterizing a novel population of myeloid cells observed in cerebrospinal fluid that exhibits gene expression similar to a neuroprotective microglia subtype that arises in several neurodegenerative diseases. Single-cell RNA-sequencing showed that these CSF myeloid cells are distinct from both blood monocytes and microglia, which are brain-resident macrophages. I hypothesized that these CSF myeloid cells may also have a neuroprotective role and investigated their origin and the molecular drivers of their gene expression profile using an in vitro culture system and flow cytometry, RT-qPCR, and lentiviral-mediated RNA interference.
I also performed research in my lab rotations in the DeNardo Lab, studying the immune cell populations within pancreatic cancer, and the Hirbe Lab, studying genetic changes that occur in malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors, at Washington University School of Medicine in August 2022 and May 2023 respectively.
Graduate publications