Jessica Nix, a biology alumna of UNG, feeds her passion for discovery through research.
These efforts started with her work alongside former faculty member Dr. Shannon Kispert on bladder cancer research. Nix also provides leadership by mentoring and inspiring other students to conduct research.
On UNG's Gainesville Campus, Nix and Kispert investigated the effects of smoking on prostaglandin E2 (PLA2) pathway proteins and how these may lead to bladder cancer.
"With this new study we hypothesize that we will see a significant increase in the PLA2 pathway proteins when compared to nonsmokers," said Nix, who graduated in May 2022. "This means that these studies could provide potential therapeutic targets for cigarette-smoke-induced tumorigenesis and progression."
Nix said she was "honored to be selected for this position" and took it upon herself to lead then fellow students in research.
"Working in a lab all day may seem boring to others, but it's the quest for the answer that keeps me zeroed in," Nix said. "The method we use for immunohistochemistry has a lot of procedures, but when performing them, I find that I feel like a real scientist."
The main goal was to provide research that can improve modern cancer treatment. Though the research was a challenge, Nix said it has been enlightening.
"Many of us suffer from impostor syndrome, myself included, but when I do research it feels like I get a little more confident and can express myself more professionally each time," Nix said.
Though Nix's success is impressive, her motivation comes from a very personal area of her life. Her uncle, a father figure in her life who is a long-term smoker, was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. Nix said his health has since declined even more.
Nix, who was a smoker herself for 10 years, said the process has been "painful" for her family.
"He had a thyroidectomy that caused damage to his voice box, which is very close to your thyroid," Nix said. "When he lost his voice, it was devastating to all of us."
Nix's connection to cancer has lit a fire in her heart for research.
"That is my passion for science: the discovery," Nix said.
Nix's research has been funded by multiple grants, including a couple from the Center for Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities. She has also presented at multiple national and regional research conferences.
