2008 Research Fellowship Recipient ~ $70,000 over two years
Jane Yanagawa, M.D., University of California, Los Angeles
"The Role of Snail in the Regulation of the Invasive Phenotype in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer"

The TSFRE research fellowship has provided me with an amazing learning experience. After my third year of general surgery residency, I entered the lab with minimal previous research experience and little direction other than that I was interested in lung cancer research. 
The process of applying for the award introduced me to grant-writing as well as taught me how to develop a detailed project with meaningful goals and realistic aims. The funding I received gave me the opportunity to learn and utilize a variety of techniques, including three-dimensional cell culture, gene expression and tissue microarray analysis, as well as a variety of murine tumor models. As a result, I have had the honor of presenting at national meetings and publishing my work on the previously un-described impact of a transcriptional repressor called Snail on the tumor progression of non-small cell lung cancer. In addition to the immediate benefits related to my recent research project, this research fellowship has also contributed to my long-term commitment to pursue academic thoracic surgery. The satisfaction of garnering support for a cause one believes in leaves no doubt that such a career path would be incredibly meaningful.