Anna Damato selected as 2022 Ceil M. DeGutis Prize Fellow

Anna Damato is a fifth-year PhD candidate in Neuroscience in the Department of Biology. Anna was nominated for this award by her thesis mentor, Dr. Erik Herzog, in whose lab she is connecting the bench to the bedside by investigating mechanisms of glioblastoma brain tumor circadian rhythms and how they impact the efficacy of chemotherapy. Anna uses real-time bioluminescence reporters of circadian gene expression to analyze the effects of timed treatment, with the goal of maximizing anti-tumor effects and minimizing side effects of chemotherapy in treating an otherwise dismal disease. In addition to cellular and molecular studies, Anna collaborates with physicians at the Siteman Cancer Center to assess benefits of timed chemotherapy in patients with brain cancer.

Outside the lab, Anna has been an active member of the Young Scientist Program, bringing hands-on science experiments to St. Louis high school classrooms. She also participated in The Biotechnology and Life Sciences Advising (BALSA) Group, a non-profit student led consulting group, for several years and completed The Skandalaris Center Entrepreneurship Citation to gain experience working on the business side of science.