Dances of the Cure-abbean: Combatting Cancer disparities in People of African Ancestry

Please join the Human Biosciences Department for the 2026 Brosnan Lecture!

When: March 9th, 2026

Sequence of events:

Brosnan Lecture:  10:00- 11:10 in CSF 1302

Coffee Reception:  11:10- 11:30 in the Whale Atrium

Networking Event co-organized with the Black Student Society: 11:30-12:00 in CSF 1302

Abstract: 
Despite increased awareness and novel therapies in the past 3 decades, cancer has become a leading cause of death globally. The WHO, GloboCan and many studies have reported disparities in cancer burden and poor outcomes for people of African Ancestry, especially in sub-Saharan Africa.  These disparities are frequently observed in breast, prostate, colorectal, pancreatic and lung cancers, and multiple myeloma. Most disparities research has focused on triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), a highly aggressive and metastatic breast cancer subtype with no targeted therapies, and is most prevalent among young premenopausal Women of African Ancestry (WAA)/Black women. My lab and others have found a significant correlation between high expression of the transcription factor Kaiso, tumor spread (metastasis), poor prognosis and racial disparities in cancer incidence and mortality in people of African Ancestry. Kaiso depletion inhibited TGFb signaling and attenuated TNBC cell proliferation and metastasis to secondary sites in mice xenografted with TNBC cells.  Intriguingly, high Kaiso expression also correlates with poor survival in Black men diagnosed with prostate cancer compared to white men. This suggests that Kaiso may be a risk factor for aggressive cancers in people of African ancestry or be linked to an ancestral African genetic susceptibility for aggressive cancers.        Our research goal is to determine how Kaiso promotes tumor spread and aggressiveness regardless of ethnicity, and how it contributes to the racial difference in cancer incidence and/or outcomes in Black people.