{"id":4400,"date":"2026-09-15T16:44:54","date_gmt":"2026-09-15T20:44:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/geiselmed.dartmouth.edu\/epidemiology\/?p=4400"},"modified":"2026-09-15T16:54:30","modified_gmt":"2026-09-15T20:54:30","slug":"research-cancer-epigenetics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/geiselmed.dartmouth.edu\/epidemiology\/2026\/09\/15\/research-cancer-epigenetics\/","title":{"rendered":"Barbara Karakyriakou Advocates for Sustained Federal Investment in Cancer Research on Capitol Hill"},"content":{"rendered":"

Barbara Karakyriakou<\/a>, a PhD candidate in Cancer Biology at Dartmouth\u2019s Geisel School of Medicine, attended AACR Early-Career Hill Day<\/a> in Washington, DC this year. The event, hosted annually by the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), invites a select group of early-career scientists to convene with members of Congress and their staff to advocate for sustained federal investment in cancer research through the National Institutes of Health and the National Cancer Institute.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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Barbara Karakyriakou (left) connected with U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire (right) at AACR Early-career Hill Day.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

During the events, she had the opportunity to meet with members of Congress and connect with U.S Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of NH, highlighting how her research on cell-type-specific DNA methylation alterations<\/a> in the tumor microenvironment aims to uncover mechanisms of tumor progression and identify new therapeutic opportunities.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Recently published in Communications Biology<\/a>, findings from Barbara's research alongside other members of the department, reveals that endothelial cells\u2014the cells that line blood vessels\u2014undergo distinct epigenetic alterations in breast cancer tissue. These findings suggest that changes within the tumor microenvironment may provide valuable biomarkers for disease detection, prognosis, and potentially future therapeutic strategies.<\/p>\n

The study underscores the growing importance of integrating epigenetics with cell-specific approaches to uncover biological mechanisms that may otherwise remain hidden in analyses of whole tissue samples.<\/p>\n

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Barbara Karakyriakou at AACR Early-Career Hill Day<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Read the full publication Endothelial cell-specific DNA methylation alterations associated with breast cancer <\/em>below: <\/em><\/p>\n

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Study Citation<\/strong><\/p>\n

Karakyriakou, B., Lu, H., Salas, L. A., & Christensen, B. C.\u00a0Endothelial cell-specific DNA methylation alterations associated with breast cancer.<\/em>\u00a0Communications Biology (2026).<\/p>\n

DOI:\u00a0https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s42003-026-10393-8<\/a><\/p>\n

Research Team<\/strong><\/p>\n