Darshil

Graduate Student

Weiss Lab

How did you get involved in cancer research?

“For me, cancer research has been one of the topics I have interested in for a very long time. During undergrad, I was more interested in medicine. I did a pre-med program and I did everything that a pre-med student does. I did research and shadowed doctors. But as a shadowed more doctors, I realized that a bigger problem in the health care field was cancer research and the idea that we didn’t have an answer to cancer. And as I researched more, my interest went from becoming a doctor to becoming a PhD student learning more about cancer. I even got into medical school and decided not to go. Instead, I started my PhD career here.”

Do you have a personal connection to any of your cancer research?

“Yes I do. I don’t have a family member that has suffered cancer but I am involved with the cancer resource center. That actually helped me a lot. It helped me put a face to cancer. It’s interesting to know that whatever work I do here will get translated to help patients. It’s really helpful to have a personal connection of any sort.”

Explain your research as if you were explaining it to someone who knows little about the scientific basis of the disease.

“What I do is I understand something called DNA repair proteins. Our body is made of cells and those cells contain genetic information in the form of DNA. DNA is basically what makes up your whole body. It is the book you use to guide your body. When you are outside doing everyday activities, sometimes your DNA gets broken and the proteins that I work on help with repairing that breakage. If the broken DNA is not repaired, you will have mutations that DNA that will result in cancer or end up killing the cells.”

Has your research changed any of your viewpoints about cancer?

“As you learn more about cancer, you understand that it is a very complex disease. It is very important for people to understand that it’s not a simple answer. It’s not one tablet they can give you to cure you. It’s a very complex and evolving disease. For me, cancer is something I have to continuously learn throughout my life.”

What’s your stance in public engagement of science in cancer research?

“I think at this point that it is very very important that we educate people. As a scientist, it is my responsibility to share my knowledge with people that don’t understand cancer but are suffering through it. I

talk to a lot of cancer patients and we have had conversations, over coffee and dinners, explaining what their symptoms are. Right now, what’s happening in the health care system is that there’s a lot more doctors and as a doctor you are focused on a cure. People have forgotten the patient aspect of it. As a patient, you are very scared and as a doctor, your time is very limited. I think it is important for people like us to explain the basis of cancer. I think it is very very important for them to understand what treatment they are getting, what is the prognosis, and what are the side effects of this treatment. As a patient, I think it is very important for them to learn about things and as a cancer researcher, I think it is equally important to share the knowledge.”