October 07, 2024
Cancer research is an intricate and challenging field, where each discovery brings us closer to better understanding and treating this terrible disease. For Katy Swancutt, DVM, PhD, the complexity of cancer is what drives her pursuit for breakthroughs. Starting as a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Kansas Medical Center in December 2022, and now stepping into a new role as research assistant professor, Dr. Swancutt’s path has been defined by a passion for discovery, persistence, and a commitment to making a difference in cancer patients' lives.
Below, KU Cancer Center trainee member Dr. Swancutt reflects on the inspirations that guided her into cancer research, the nuances of her work in metastasis and her career path.
What inspired you to pursue a career in cancer research?
As a pre-veterinary medicine student in college, I joined a physical chemistry lab to strengthen my veterinary school applications. I measured free radical reaction kinetics using a technique called pulse radiolysis, which required me to learn to use a few different types of particle accelerators. Not only did I learn to love scientific research in that lab, but I also became interested in the biologic effects of radiation, which led me toward the field of radiation oncology.
As a PhD student at Colorado State University, I worked closely with the veterinary school’s radiation oncology service to conduct in vitro and canine clinical trial experiments. As part of a dual degree program akin to Medical Scientist Training (MSTP) programs, I returned to veterinary school having completed my PhD and feeling dissatisfied with my contributions to the world of cancer research. There was still more work to do, and I didn’t want that part of my life to end. I did not think of my new degree as an achievement, but instead it was a license to go do bigger things. The complexity of cancer makes it the ultimate puzzle and I could spend the rest of my life learning new information about cancer. I couldn’t put the puzzle down.
What specific aspect of cancer research are you currently focusing on? What do you find most exciting about it?
I came to the University of Kansas Medical Center to study metastasis with Dr. Danny Welch, professor of Cancer Biology. My background in radiation biology, tumor microenvironment and cancer immunology gave me experience using many preclinical models of primary cancer, both in terms of type of cancer and species of model. However, I became interested in metastasis as a PhD student working closely with veterinary radiation oncologists and during my first postdoc in the Molecular Radiation Biology division of the Radiation Oncology Department at UT Southwestern.
Clinical radiation oncology is expanding to address oligometastatic disease (which means cancer has spread to a limited number of locations in the body). As immunotherapies become more common, doctors are seeing abscopal effects more often. The abscopal effect occurs when radiation therapy targets one or a few tumors, but other untreated tumors shrink or disappear because the radiation causes a whole-body immune response. To expand our knowledge of this phenomenon, I am building a foundation of experience using in vivo metastasis models to study how genetics influence cancer spread. Specifically, I am focusing on polymorphisms (normal gene variants, akin to the genes for eye color having polymorphisms resulting in several colors of the iris) in the mitochondrial genome that affect how much cancer spreads. I am exploring two mechanisms: first, by differential expression of noncoding RNAs called tRNA fragments, the expression of which varies based on mitochondrial genome polymorphisms and may have downstream functions related to some aspect of the metastatic cascade and second, by differential immune cell recruitment based on mitochondrial genetic background. While non-mitochondrial tRNA fragments have been linked to cancer, we are breaking new ground by exploring the role of mitochondrial tRNA fragments in metastasis. Since the mitochondrial genome is inherited from our mother, our findings could help explain biologic factors related to cancer outcome disparities and may lead to personalized treatments.
Once we understand their mechanisms, these tRNA fragments could become a new therapeutic target for treating advanced cancer. Exploring the hypothesis that immune cell behavior varies based on genetic differences is exciting because it could lead to personalized immunotherapies tailored to an individual’s mitochondrial genetics. We are entering uncharted territory in basic science with the goal of translating our findings into new precision medicine approaches.
There are many paths after a post-doc. How did you choose your path?
I had to be stubborn to stay in an academic system that was not built to run under modern conditions of federal funding paucity and trainee shortage. I have hypotheses that I don’t think anyone else is interested in testing because of the difficulty of the in vivo modeling and the risk of finding no significant differences and if I don’t try to find the answers then I will live with the regret of not trying. Academic career paths facilitate high risk, high reward translational research and pursuit of areas of science with unproven significance in ways that more lucrative industry careers cannot always accommodate.
Why did you choose the University of Kansas Medical Center?
In my opinion, “why here?” is a more relevant question than, “why now?” I am truly impressed by the cohort of rising stars who have joined the University of Kansas Medical Center’s Cancer Biology Department. The newly recruited faculty in particular do stellar science and are wonderful people with whom I can collaborate, ask for advice, and share intra-departmental responsibilities. The established faculty are supportive and generous with their time and assistance. Our Cancer Biology Department is up-and-coming and the planned construction to expand the Cancer Center makes me excited for the future. I am working very hard to establish myself here at KU Medical Center in order to be part of this winning team.
What tips do you have for other post-docs making the transition to faculty?
My advice: It is critical to find a supportive environment and mentorship. While pushing your research project forward as efficiently as possible, seek out a wide variety of other opportunities to enhance your postdoctoral experience. This can be done through research collaborations in areas of science that are new to you, teaching or mentoring summer students, giving poster and oral presentations, etc. Be ambitious and get after it. Being a KU Cancer Center trainee allowed me to squeeze in all these experiences and more in a little over one year.
What are your long-term career goals in the field of cancer research?
My long-term goal is to become an independent, tenure-track academic researcher, which means I’m already busy writing grants while also working at the bench.
What advice would you give to someone considering a career in cancer research?
First, there are many career paths within the field of cancer research, and you should investigate as many of them as possible before choosing one for yourself. Second, always remember WHY we are working – ultimately, we want to improve cancer patients’ lives. We are not here merely to play the academic game, but instead to develop meaningful translational advancements that help cancer patients. Stay focused, manage your time carefully, and work with integrity.