2025 WCHRI Summer Student

Finding a new way to fight ovarian cancer

Annie Tong’s research focused on finding new ways to treat ovarian cancer, which is often not diagnosed until advanced stages. She explored the role of a specific protein, NHP2, in the cancer’s growth and spread.“NHP2 seems to play a key role in helping ovarian cancer grow and spread. What's exciting is that when we lower the levels of this protein, the cancer cells become less aggressive, which suggests it could be a powerful new target for treatment. By understanding how it works, we hope to develop better therapies and give patients a stronger chance at fighting this disease.”

Goals:

• Determine the functional role of the NHP2 protein in ovarian cancer.
• Investigate the molecular mechanisms by which NHP2 promotes tumour growth.
• Assess if targeting NHP2 can be a potential new treatment option for ovarian cancer.

Potential impact: Ovarian cancer is a deadly disease with a high mortality rate due to the lack of effective treatments for advanced stages. By identifying and understanding the role of the NHP2 protein, this research could lead to the discovery of a new therapeutic target, ultimately improving clinical outcomes for patients.

Supervisor: YangXin Fu, associate professor, Department of Oncology

Funder: Alberta Women’s Health Foundation

Interested in doing research to improve the health of women and/or children? Read more about WCHRI’s training awards for students at all levels and generous grants for researchers.