Under the supervision of established investigator Dr. Mark Nachtigal, this project will explore novel ways to treat chemotherapy-resistant high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSC). Previous research from the Nachtigal laboratory has shown that glycosylated antitumour ether lipids (called “GAELs”) are able to kill chemotherapy-resistant human HGSC cells. Therefore, they propose that GAELs may be used as an adjuvant treatment to current HGSC standard of care.

The focus of this doctoral project is to investigate how a specific GAEL – called L-Rham – induces HGSC cell death, bringing these drugs one step closer to clinical trials. This work will be performed in collaboration with a patient partner, to ensure its relevance to the patient experience and OCC’s mission.