THE 'S' IN STEM: Brittany
Career Spotlight: Cancer Biologist
Ever since I can remember, I wanted to be a scientist. My dad had a career in the food sciences, and my mom was a middle school science teacher… I was surrounded by all things science from day one! For show-and-tell in 1st grade, I performed a simple experiment with baking soda and vinegar, and from that day forward, I knew I was destined for a life in a white lab coat.
However, the road to becoming the cancer biologist I am today was not as smooth as I thought it would be at just six years old. After experiencing a death in our extended family due to brain cancer during elementary school, I became immediately intrigued by cancer. At the time, the idea of one acquiring cancer seemed like something that everyone feared; I didn’t know what this horrible disease was, but I was definitely afraid. Fast-forward to high school, where I encountered cancer yet again. My friend’s mother had just relapsed for the fifth time, and she had tumors in her breasts, lungs, and stomach. After watching her struggle to fight the disease for her fifth and unfortunately final time, I knew I had to do something to increase the odds of surviving this ominous disease.
As someone who had always been interested in science, especially chemistry and biology, I decided that I would conquer cancer as a Pharmacist. I dreamt of making drugs and curing cancer one day, so in high school, I began working in a local pharmacy. After spending two summers working in a pharmacy and enrolling at the University of Arizona as a Pre-Pharmacy undergraduate student, I began to have second thoughts about my career path. While being a Pharmacist is an important job, I realized I had so many questions about the how’s and why’s about cancer and anticancer drug discovery, and I didn’t feel as if I would be able to answer those questions as a Pharmacist. As someone who had always told myself that I knew exactly what I wanted to do and that I would never change my mind or major, I panicked when I realized my dreams of becoming a Pharmacist weren’t panning out the way I thought. During the first month leading up to my first semester of college and even into the first few weeks of school, I felt lost and stuck in a career path I wasn’t even sure I wanted to pursue. However, after talking with my advisor about my interests and long-term aspirations, I immediately changed my major to biochemistry and sought work in a pharmacology research lab, where I investigated new methods through which to treat cancer-induced bone pain. It was through this research experience where I saw my passion for studying cancer and investigating the answers to new questions collide, and thus I knew I was destined to be in academic research for the rest of my life.
Today, as a Cancer Biology PhD. student, I study the mechanisms through which human papillomavirus, the sexually transmitted infection that causes cervical cancer, evades detection by our cells. Stemming from a lifelong passion for science, I can truly say that I have found my calling in life studying cancer biology. Not only do I get to discover the unknown mechanisms of a virus that causes cancer through my research, but I also get to be in an environment where I am learning every day. Together, my research and knowledge can help to make advances towards tackling cancer, and I hope to continue making new discoveries in the field of cancer biology one day as a professor with my own lab. I encourage you all to find something you are passionate about… maybe it is something you have loved since elementary school like me, or maybe you found the passion during high school as you began to have more experiences outside the classroom. Once you find that passion, chase after it to fulfill your dreams, and don’t let small roadblocks discourage you! You will find where you are supposed to be!
About the Author: Brittany Forte, 21, is a Ph.D. student studying Cancer Biology at the University of Arizona. Brittany received her undergraduate degree from the University of Arizona with a double major in Biochemistry and Molecular & Cellular Biology and a minor in Mathematics. When she is not doing research, Brittany enjoys cooking, spending time outdoors, and weightlifting.
