• Question: how will your research affect normal people?

    Asked by 07spearson to Iain, Gioia, Jo, Leo, Mariam on 16 Jun 2010 in Categories: . This question was also asked by ilovespacemonkeys, mariec, georgiemay27, alisonkatie, mildredmad.
    • Photo: Joanna Watson

      Joanna Watson answered on 16 Jun 2010:

      The aim of the kind of research that I do is to find out what causes cancers and makes them more likely in some people than others.

      If we find causes that people can’t change – like the hormones their body produces – other scientists can use the information to try to make preventive drugs or treatments.

      If we find causes that people can change themselves – like smoking or being obese – then normal people can make changes in their own lives to reduce their risk of getting cancer in the future.

    • Photo: Mariam Orme

      Mariam Orme answered on 16 Jun 2010:

      I am trying to find out more about how cells die, and how cancer cells manage to evade dying. Hopefully the things I find out will help us to develop new drugs that could be used to kill cancer cells, and so it might improve treatments for cancer.
      My work could also have applications for neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s, where brain cells die inappropriately (ie they die when they should stay alive)… so it’s possible that my work could lead to the develpment of new drugs for these diseases.

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