BSG-MSRP-Bio Student Studies Lung Cancer Therapy Resistance at Koch Institute

Marina Milea, a student in the BSG‑MSRP‑Bio program, spent the summer conducting research on the mechanisms by which lung cancers develop resistance to targeted therapies. Working in the Jacks Laboratory at MIT’s Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, she focused on molecular pathways that enable tumor cells to evade drugs designed to inhibit specific oncogenic drivers. The project involved a combination of cell‑culture experiments, genomic profiling, and drug‑response assays to identify genetic alterations and signaling adaptations that confer therapeutic resistance.

Milea’s hands‑on experience in the Jacks Lab provided her with practical training in cutting‑edge cancer biology techniques and contributed to the broader effort to improve treatment outcomes for patients with lung cancer. The findings from her investigation will be incorporated into ongoing studies aimed at developing strategies to overcome or prevent resistance, underscoring the value of undergraduate research opportunities in advancing translational cancer research.