News and Congratulations
The Weill Cornell Clinical and Translational Science Center (CTSC) proudly celebrates the remarkable achievement of Dr. Karena Zhao, a former CTSC-supported Summer Fellow, who's recent first-author publication in Nature Genetics represents a significant advancement in our understanding of cancer metastasis.
During her time as a medical student, Dr. Zhao, with the team led by Dr. Luc Morris, at Memorial Sloan Kettering conducted research examining the genomic data from over 3,700 patients across 24 cancer types using tumor sequencing testing. The researchers’ findings revealed that whole-genome duplication (WGD), where cancer cells duplicate all chromosomes, is the most common genetic event linked to metastasis, occurring in nearly one-third of cases.
This discovery offers critical insights into how cancer evolves and spreads, highlighting WGD as a potential biomarker for aggressive disease and a target for future therapeutic strategies. The study also underscores the importance of large-scale, collaborative genomic research in unraveling the complexity of cancer biology.
Reflecting on the significance of this work, Dr. Anthony Brown, Director of Medical Student Research at Weill Cornell remarked:
“Given the impact factor of Nature Genetics, and Karena’s first authorship, I believe this is one of the most spectacular products of the CTSC Summer Fellowship and WCM AOC programs to date and is certainly one to be hugely proud of!”
“It also illustrates how fellowship support for a summer project between years 1 and 2 can have a major influence on a student’s choice of research topic later in the curriculum.”
The CTSC is dedicated to supporting early career investigators through funding, mentorship, and research infrastructure. Dr. Zhao’s achievement exemplifies the CTSC’s mission in action—demonstrating how, with the right support and collaborative research environment, investigators at all stages can drive discoveries that have a meaningful impact on human health.
The CTSC is committed to fostering the next generation of clinical and translational researchers and congratulates Dr. Zhao on her achievement. The CTSC Summer Intensive Fellowships in Clinical/Translational Research for Medical Students is an 8-week continuous, full-time program that provides medical students between their first and second year of medical school with an introduction to basic, translational, or clinical research.