Norah Aldrak

Research interests

My research focuses on understanding how inherited mutations affecting components of the HIF pathway can induce tumorigenesis in certain organs but not others. Using mouse models and lineage-tracing technology, I investigate the behavior and fate of mutant cells in different spatiotemporal contexts. My work aims to characterize the early pre-tumorigenic events, and identify factors that make some organs susceptible to HIF-associated tumorigenesis while others remain resistant. This knowledge can pave the way for the development of novel targeted therapies and prevention strategies.

Background

I hold a BSc in Clinical Laboratory Sciences from King Saud University, and an MMSc in Immunology from Harvard University. I completed my Master's thesis in the Agudo lab at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. My Master's research focused on developing a synthetic biological circuit to irretrievably "tag" cancer cells that survive cytotoxic lymphocytes immune surveillance. This work sparked my interest in studying the early stages of tumourigenesis, and how the initiation dynamics vary across different tissue contexts.