Gokhan Gunay, a graduate Biomedical Engineering student at the University of Oklahoma, was recently selected as a recipient of a Sigma Xi Grant.
The Sigma Xi Grants in Aid of Research (GIAR) program encourages close working relationships between students and mentors and promotes scientific excellence and achievement through hands-on learning. The program is highly competitive, only granting funding to 12%-15% of applicants.
Ovarian cancer is the most lethal gynecological cancer, with a 47% survival rate within 5 years. Gunay and his team, under the supervision of Dr. Handan Acar, are researching techniques for specific drug delivery to small tumors by developing models in the lab and engineering polymer-based nanoparticles to target the tumors and deliver anti-cancer drugs. The Sigma Xi grant will fund the materials used for the formation of spheroid models and for preparation of nanoparticles.
Pictured is the Ovarian cancer spheroids produced in the Acar lab.
