Hello Everyone!

Learn a ​little bit ​more ​about me

kind of a resume of ​some sort

Why I chose ​medicine

My current life ​updates

My current ​research interests

My Sorta Resume...

(this is just what I thought was relevant to note for the blog...)

Rising freshman

I’m a rising college freshman that’s majoring in ​Bioengineering and minoring in Sociology of Health. I’m on ​the pre-med track and set to graduate in Spring 2028.

Undergrad Student researcher

I work at a Bioengineering lab that specializes in cancer ​microscopy, mechanobiology, and neuroengineering as an ​undergraduate student researcher.

Shadowed Cardio Surgeon

I shadowed an amazing cardio surgeon at Penn Hospital a ​little over the summer. I shadowed in the clinic so far and am ​working on the paperwork to shadow in the OR.

Why I Chose Medicine

(totally sounds generic, but it’s how I got here)

My grandparents

I previously wanted to go into business before I ​visited my sick grandparents. They sparked ​curiosity and compassion in me, and I knew I ​wanted to one day help people like them and ​their families.

Palestine

As the war in my home country escalated, I ​realized that I one day aspired to help the people ​of my beautiful home country by practicing ​medicine there one day.

My Sister

Although I never really wanted to admit it prior, ​my older sister inspired me a lot with medicine. ​She would always come home with an incredible ​story as she worked as a lab assistant, and all I ​wanted to do was experience those things.

The field

Every time I read or discover a new development ​in medicine, I am in awe. I think that the field is ​just so cool, and I love studying and learning ​about the various specialties within medicine. I ​think I fall in love with medicine more every day.

Life Updates ♡

Stop it - this is my favorite page

August (updated 08.09.2024)

• I’m getting used to being here in my lab and I’m starting to ​create my own sense of organization
• I got to see my hs mentor at a cafe - I love her sm - she and ​I chatted, and she offered to connect me to her mentor at ​St Joes to get more lab experience
• I am in the process of creating a good linkedin - stay tuned
• I want to start a medicine book club but who would even ​join it T-T
• I have no clue what to be for halloween but I need to make ​plans someone hmu

Invadopodia

Invadopodia are foot-like structures characterized by actin-rich protrusions found at the basal surfaces of cells. These specialized cellular extensions play a crucial role in cancer metastasis, demonstrating an ability to traverse extracellular barriers. Particularly prevalent in cancer cells with high metastatic potential, invadopodia are estimated at approximately 1-10 per cell. Notably, these structures persist for extended periods of time, up to 8 years, contributing to their significance in the invasive behavior of cancer cells. The formation and activity of invadopodia are intricately dependent on various proteins and signaling pathways, underscoring their regulation in facilitating the invasive phenotype observed in aggressive cancers.

Invadopodia exhibit a complex, orchestrated structure crucial to their invasive properties. At their core, formin, depicted in the diagram as light green, plays a pivotal role in regulating actin polymerization, contributing to the formation of the actin-rich core of invadopodia. The dark blue region in the diagram represents arp2/3, another key player in actin dynamics, fostering the branching of actin filaments. Microtubules, depicted in orange, are intricately involved, providing structural support and aiding in the positioning of invadopodia. Cortactin, illustrated in lilac purple, serves as a scaffold protein, linking various components and promoting actin polymerization. Additionally, fascin, depicted in dark green, is responsible for bundling actin filaments, contributing to the stability and functionality of invadopodia. This orchestrated interplay of formin, arp2/3, microtubules, cortactin, fascin, and other associated proteins forms the intricate architecture of invadopodia, allowing these structures to carry out their invasive functions in cancer cells.

Invadopodia serve as specialized cellular structures with a crucial role in facilitating the invasive behavior of cancer cells. These dynamic protrusions, typically found at the basal surfaces of cells, are finely tuned for extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation and penetration. At their core, invadopodia are characterized by actin-rich structures, orchestrated by proteins like formin and arp2/3, forming a dynamic scaffold that supports their function. The intricate interplay of microtubules, cortactin, and fascin contributes to the stability and regulation of invadopodia. Functionally, these structures act as focal points for matrix degradation through the secretion and activation of proteolytic enzymes such as matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). By facilitating localized ECM remodeling, invadopodia enable cancer cells to breach physical barriers, promoting invasion into surrounding tissues and facilitating metastasis. Notably, the persistence of invadopodia, with estimates ranging up to 8 years, underscores their long-term impact on cancer cell invasiveness. The significance of invadopodia in the metastatic cascade makes them promising targets for therapeutic intervention in efforts to impede the spread of aggressive cancers.