Laura Helbling
Master's Student
Research interests
Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) was the first human virus associated with tumorigenesis. Annually, this oncovirus attributes to 210,000 cancer cases. My research focuses on the role of EBV in gastric cancer. Gastric cancer stands as one of the leading global causes of cancer-related mortality, underscoring the necessity for a novel approach to its treatment. Interestingly, for the maintenance of EBV infection, high importance on epigenetic regulation rather than mutational burden was previously observed. Through specifically targeting those mechanisms, I aim to shift EBV-infected cells towards the lytic cycle, making them susceptible to immune cells and antiviral treatments.
Background
I completed my undergraduate degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Basel in Switzerland. Following this, I enrolled in the Master’s program Drug Sciences with focus on toxicology and immunology. Before joining Prof. Xin Lu’s Lab at the University of Oxford, I completed a research internship in the Molecular Pharmacy group. Under the supervision of Prof. Daniel Ricklin, I contributed to a research project investigating the underlying mechanism of the alternative pathway of the complement system. For my Master’s thesis, I joined the Ludwig Institute to further explore my fascination for immunology in human diseases and deepen my understanding in this field.