Svenja-Maria Pahlke

Research interests

Epigenetic modifications can result in alterations of gene expression which can have an impact on tumour development, progression and treatment resistance.  The utilisation of epigenetic drugs to target these modifications has been shown to improve cancer immunotherapy efficacy in some cancers. Therefore, this project will test the combination of epigenetic drugs with the therapeutic cancer vaccines developed in our lab in combating cancer.

Background

Prior to starting my DPhil at the Ludwig Institute, I completed a Bachelor’s in Medical Sciences (Hons) at Oxford Brookes University which included a 1-year laboratory placement in the Target Discovery Institute, University of Oxford. Thereafter, I was given the opportunity to complete a lab-based traineeship at the Brigham and Women’s hospital, Harvard Medical School in Boston focusing on the role of alpha-synuclein in Parkinson’s disease. Following the traineeship, I worked as a life science research professional at Stanford University in the Neurosurgery department. At Stanford my research focused on the development of a second-generation peptide vaccine targeting the EGFR mutant EGFRvIII in glioblastoma.