Fadia Bou-Dagher - 2022 cohort

Fadia Bou-Dagher, fb555@cam.ac.uk

Lebanon

Medical Science, Lucy Cavendish College

PhD thesis: Functional and mechanistic investigations into cellular responses to DNA damage.

Research interests:

1. DNA damage response.

2. Cancer biology.

                                      3. Targeted cancer therapy and precision medicine.

                                      4. Public health, public policy and management.

The aim of my PhD project is to discover new functional interactions and networks in DNA repair and associated DNA-damage responses. My PhD focuses on studying the role of dysfunctional DNA damage repair in the context of cancer and synthetic lethality. This research would have implications on enhancing our understanding of cancer pathogenesis, drug sensitivity, and resistance in cancer therapy.

Who or what inspired you to pursue your research interests?

I have lost family members to cancer, and I personally understand the extent of this disease and the urgency in treating it. I am fascinated by cancer biology, and I value the impact of advancements in research on the care of cancer patients. After completing the MB/PhD programme (intercalating a PhD within my medical degree), I would then like to specialise in oncology while remaining involved in research. I am inspired to pursue my research interests because I want to be able to contribute to this field as much as I can, both as a researcher and as a medic.