Dyson College of Arts and Sciences

W W W . P A C E . E D U / D Y S O N 11 within the cell) to understand the mechanisms in which this drug could successfully kill cancer cells. Understanding these processes can lead to be er combination cancer treatments—treatment through more than one drug. "Combination treatments have higher efficacy and lower system toxicity, meaning patients have fewer side effects and tend to respond to the treatment longer," Krucher said. For Vaska, working on this significant project has opened a new world. "I'm from Ukraine, where we don't really have a lab component to the vast majority of our classes," she said. "When I first heard about doing experiments in the lab, I thought, 'Wow, I could really get my hands on that.' And I did that for ten hours a week." Ferre i had also taken an interest in Krucher's work and, a er enrolling in two of her courses and discussing her research together, was enthusiastic to join the project. "I was a bit nervous when I first found out I was going to be working with 3D cancer cells," said Ferre i, noting the fragility of the cells. "There are ce ain techniques you must be proficient in, and not every experiment comes out the way you'd hoped. There's a lot of trial and error involved, so when they come out well, it's a very rewarding feeling." Krucher added, "Science is a lesson in persistence, and we learn that in the laboratory. It's useful in all of life, really." The group hopes to make significant progress on a paper for publication detailing their results. "We have reason to believe that this drug will eventually be developed by pharmaceutical companies," said Krucher. "And we think it's impo ant that they understand how the drug works. So we have a lot of data on that." Ferre i and Vaska also recently presented their work at Pace University's Society of Fellows Annual Meeting, a research conference held by Dyson College's premier honor society. "I'm very happy with how we've overcome the challenges and just how well we work together as a team," said Ferre i. "We're all pushing each other forward to keep ge ing good data." "We have reason to believe that this drug will eventually be developed by pharmaceutical companies." —Nancy Krucher, PhD Professor of Biology Nancy Krucher, PhD, with students Michael Ferre i '24 and Anastasiia Vaska '24.

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