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Detecting Hidden Cancer Boundaries

Science can be a lot like a marathon – each is powered by endurance, resilience, and an appreciation for the journey. No one understands this better than Aleksandra Winiarz, fifth-year doctoral candidate in the ���Ϲ��� (���Ϲ���)’s Department of Biophysics. When not found in the lab, Winiarz is found outdoors racking up the miles.

Winiarz, who is from Chicago, did not originally envision a career in research. She arrived at Loyola University unsure of her path, but after taking several science classes, declared psychology and cognitive and behavioral neuroscience as majors.

Her studies led her to conduct undergraduate research in two labs. In one, she studied the stigma surrounding mental health conditions in college students. In another, she investigated grapheme-color synesthesia – the neurological phenomenon where people associate certain colors with letters and numbers.

The summer before her senior year, Winiarz added a third research experience to her resume. She investigated whether igniting fear in rats would change the shape and structure of their central nervous system immune cells.

“It was my first exposure to being in a wet lab and doing experiments,” says Winiarz. “I remember thinking how fascinating it was and how I could really see myself in a similar research space.”

Mapping Invisible Cancer

Aleksandra Winiarz, a PhD student at ���Ϲ���, studies ways to better detect glioblastoma, a devastating form of brain cancer.

Winiarz worked in the wet lab for two and a half years after graduation, transitioning to study how heart attacks affect the immune cells in the central nervous system of rats. While the experience was meaningful, Winiarz wanted to lean more into the human side of neuroscience research, particularly brain-imaging technologies.

Luckily for Winiarz, ���Ϲ��� had exactly the type of research she was looking for – and the infrastructure necessary to conduct it. That’s how she landed in the lab of Peter LaViolette PhD, MS, Robert C. Olson Professor in Radiology, which is housed in the Center for Imaging Research.

“Every day when I walk into work, I walk through the lobby that connects you to the space with all the MRI machines,” says Winiarz. “So, I’m right where it’s happening.”

The LaViolette lab studies glioblastoma, a devastating form of brain cancer. While traditional cancer imaging technologies like MRIs can detect most of the cancer’s tumor cells, not all are captured in the image.

To address this, the lab used donated brain samples from deceased glioblastoma patients who had previously underwent MRIs. Next, pathologists looked at the samples under the microscope, noting tumor cell location and density.

Combining data from the MRI scans and tumor pathology, the lab created a computational algorithm that can predict tumor pathology in regions undetectable by MRIs. The output of the algorithm is what is known as a radio-pathomic map, which the lab applies retrospectively.

In a recent study run by Winiarz, they created radio-pathomic maps for patients undergoing a form of therapy known as tumor treating fields. The maps predicted a lower tumor probability and tumor cell density in these patients, suggesting the treatment could be effective.

“There is no cure for glioblastoma, which has an average survival rate of 15 to 18 months,” says Winiarz. “Our maps can help clinicians identify parts of the tumor that are invisible on the MRI, which provides the fullest snapshot of the cancer’s location and potential progression. This picture will hopefully guide patients’ treatment plans and, in turn, improve their quality of life and survival.”

The lab also creates and hopes to extend their work to pancreatic and breast cancer.

Connecting Research and Patient Care

Outside of research, Winiarz is the Graduate Student Association (GSA) representative for the Department of Biophysics. Through this role, she helps orchestrate the annual GSA Research Symposium, where graduate students from all departments can share their work in a casual environment.

“The event is meant for students only, which gives them the opportunity to present their research without the pressure of knowing their PI might be around the corner,” says Winiarz. “It’s lower stakes and you still get to practice presenting science, network with other students, and just hang out with your friends.”

As a GSA representative, Winiarz is a liaison for her home department, a position that mirrors her career aspirations: working as medical science liaison. Winiarz hopes to bridge hard science and patient care, conveying complicated research to clinicians who can use the findings in practice.

“We need to emphasize getting good ideas, products, and drugs in the hands of clinicians so they can use them to positively impact patients’ lives,” says Winiarz. “What is the point of coming up with another radio-pathomic map if no clinician is going to use it?”

Winiarz’s focus on the world outside of the lab parallels her advice to prospective students.

“Pursuing an advanced graduate degree is what you make of it,” says Winiarz. “���Ϲ��� has a plethora of resources and networking opportunities and it’s up to the student to capitalize on that, take chances, and hopefully leave a real-world impact.”