Kristin Goodsell, MD, Receives NIH Starr Grant To Advance Research on Immune Interactions in Colorectal Cancer

General surgery research resident Kristin Goodsell, MD, has been awarded funding through the NIH’s Stimulating Access to Research in Residency (StARR) (R38) grant under Dr. Kristina Adams-Waldorf of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. The StARR program provides funding for mentored opportunities for residents pursuing research within the fields of immunology, infectious disease, immune therapeutics, autoimmunity, tumor immunology, or related domains.

During her dedicated research experience working with Dr. Venu Pillarisetty in the Department of Surgery’s Tumor Immune Microenvironment (TIME) lab, Dr. Goodsell has focused on understanding the role of specific immunosuppressive macrophage populations in colorectal cancer metastases. Her R38 funded research project analyzes gene and protein expression to explore interactions between macrophages and T cells on the outcome of immunomodulating therapy in human derived tumor models of colorectal liver metastases. The grant has enabled Dr. Goodsell to pursue her interest in the interaction between the innate and adaptive immune system in cancer in the form of an independent project developed during her research time in residency. She looks forward to sharing results of this work at upcoming regional and national conferences, supported by R38 grant funding allocations.

The StARR program is designed to “encourage postdoctoral-level health professionals to pursue careers as physician-scientists and clinician-investigators, fulfilling a critical workforce need,” and is housed within the National Institute of Health’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease.