Nicole Mihalik

PhD student

Organization:

West Virginia University School of Medicine

Department:

Microbiology, Immunology & Cell Biology

Classification:

Graduate Assistant

I received my Bachelor of Science in Biology from West Liberty University in May 2017. I conducted undergraduate research in microbiology and cancer cell biology, and I was a four-year starter as an outfielder for the Hilltopper softball team. My primary research interests are tumor immunology and the use of nanotechnology/biopharmaceuticals to disrupt the tumor microenvironment.

Currently, I work in the Eubank laboratory. My project centers around the investigation of a bimodal role for nanoparticle-delivered GM-CSF in 1) the regulation of blood vessel function to neutralize tumor hypoxia, and 2) the promotion of a macrophage polarity switch from pro-tumor M2 to anti-tumor M1 phenotype. Our main focus is to recover normal tissue oxygen levels to enhance radiotherapy as well as promote tumor-fighting immune cell function to improve immunotherapies.