NAME: Robin Elaine Duncan PhD THESIS TITLE: Role of HMG-CoA reductase in growth regulation of breast cancer cells SUPERVISOR: Professor Michael C. Archer

Robin's research has provided valuable insight into how dietary cholesterol inhibits the growth and development of breast cancer in rats which suggested that the cholesterol biosynthetic pathway may be linked to breast cancer cell growth. She found that mevalonate, an intermediate in cholesterol biosynthesis, promotes the growth of human breast cancer cells in culture and the growth of tumors derived from human breast cancer cells in mice, by increasing the activity of enzymes that promote cell proliferation. Dietary cholesterol inhibits cancer growth by feedback downregulation of mevalonate synthesis. She investigated several other dietary compounds (e.g. plant isoprenoids, n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, genistein) that, unlike cholesterol, may have both cancer-protective and cardio-protective effects. A number of these compounds that decrease mevalonate synthesis also inhibit the growth of breast cancer cells.

Robin is the recipient of the Ontario Graduate Scholarship (1999-2003), Nutritional Sciences Alumni Graduate Travel Award, Gordon S. Cressy Student Leadership Award, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada Post-doctoral fellowship.

Robin is currently a post-doctoral fellow at the University of California at Berkeley, Department of Nutritional Sciences and Toxicology, laboratory of Dr. Hei Sook Sul. Last year Dr. Sul cloned a novel adipose triglyceride lipase concurrently with 2 other laboratories that she named desnutrin. Prior to this discovery, hormone sensitive lipase was thought to catalyze the breakdown of both diglycerides and triglycerides. She is currently working on several aspects of desnutrin regulation, including protein-protein interactions, regulation by phosphorylation, transcriptional regulation, and construction of a desnutrin null mouse.  Her future career goal is to obtain Faculty position in a Canadian university.