Stephen Festin, assistant professor of biology, was awarded a grant from the Department of Health and Human Services to research the fundamental molecular mechanism of alphafetoprotein peptides. Alphafetoprotein (AFP) is a known antiestrotrophic agent with the potential to be used as therapeutic agents against breast cancer. The understanding of where and how the AFP peptides affect cancer tissues, will lead to the development of new therapeutic targets and provide information that will determine the usefulness of AFP peptides in breast cancer prevention, treatment and diagnosis. Festin says the innovative nature of this project lies in the fact that, "it brings together separate fields of research to address a previously uninvestigated problem."
Festin has been a member of the Hamilton faculty since 1999. He was awarded a Ph.D. in 1997 from Albany Medical College in biochemistry and molecular biology and then received post-doctoral training at the National Institutes of Health. His teaching and research interests include biochemistry, molecular biology and bioinformatics. His work has been published in peer-reviewed journals such as Journal of Biological Chemistry, Journal of General Virology and Life Sciences. Most recently, his studies have focused on the intracellular effects of alphafetoprotein peptides on estrogen regulated gene transcription and processes, to better understand estrogen signaling pathways in treatment, prevention and diagnosis of breast cancer.
Festin's research is greatly aided by student projects performed in his lab. Several Hamilton students contributed to the preliminary data that formed the basis for the grant application. These include: Betsy Gekonge (00'), Patrick Murphy (01'), Elizabeth Guancial (01') and Annie Toth (02'). Currently, students conducting their senior thesis are key personnel working on the grant. Lorena Hernandez (03') is studying gene expression using microarray technology and Johanna Carroll (03') is continuing projects initiated over the summer to study signal transduction pathways.
