Spotlight on ICRN Investigators

What does being part of the ICRN or affiliated with CCF mean to you?

It is an honor and a pleasure to associated with the ICRN and CCF. These organizations unite a community of researchers, clinical investigators and advocates to benefit patients with cholangiocarcinoma. It is very to draw motivation from interacting with those who dedicate their time to ICRN and CCF, given their passion and energy to make a difference.

What advice would you give early-career professionals?

Collaborate fearlessly, be humble, open to new ideas and work with urgency for patients. While it is good to focus, technology and knowledge of a disease evolves rapidly. Problems are best solved through teamwork, as no one person can be an expert in everything. Embrace the fact that you have chosen a career that allows you to discover and help people through our research. What you do is important, be resilient and persistent!  People are counting on you.

What message of hope would you share with CCA patients about your work?

First of all, the numerous patients, caregivers, and advocates whom I have met through these organizations have been very inspiring. Your dedication to providing consent for yourself or loved ones to participate in research studies is indeed making a difference in accelerating our ability to discover and cure. For this, the research community owes you a great deal of gratitude.  Over the last several years, our understanding of cholangiocarcinoma has continued to improve, and there is more to come. Some examples are the new precision therapies tailored to patients with specific tumor profiles and the number of clinical trials that are studying earlier interventions prior to surgery. As a larger community of researchers, all focused on this challenging and devastating disease, our culture is one of collaboration and innovation. Together, I believe that we can continue making strides against cholangiocarcinoma.

What’s the last movie, book, or concert you enjoyed? (Fun question!)

I read and write so much for work on a daily basis that I do not find much relaxation in reading. However, I find a great deal of joy in music and have played the guitar since childhood. With that said, I try to catch the occasional concert and recently saw the band Vampire Weekend on their tour through Atlanta. They were full of energy and remarkably talented musicians.

What does being part of the ICRN or affiliated with CCF mean to you?

My experience with CCF and ICRN has been incredibly meaningful and rewarding. CCF is one of the biggest reasons why there’s so much hope in the cholangiocarcinoma community, and being a part of this community gives my work greater purpose. It is truly inspiring to witness the real impact advocacy and research can have on patients’ lives.

As a junior investigator, how has getting involved with CCF helped your career?

I deeply appreciate CCF’s commitment to expanding and strengthening the research community by actively supporting young investigators. Beyond direct support for my research through the CCF fellowship, my connection with CCF has introduced me to an extraordinary community. I’ve had the privilege to meet and work with so many inspiring people, all united by the shared goal of making meaningful advancements in cholangiocarcinoma care.

What message of hope would you share with CCA patients about your work?

In the last decade, targeted therapy has changed how we treat cholangiocarcinoma, and it’s been amazing to see those breakthroughs help so many patients. But there’s a large group of patients who still lack targeted treatment options, and bridging this gap is at the heart of my work. My research is focused on finding new ways to stratify patients and uncover novel treatment targets, so that more patients can have targeted therapy options. The ultimate goal is to make sure every patient has access to treatments that work for their specific cancer.

What’s the last movie, book, or concert you enjoyed? (Fun question!)

I had the amazing opportunity to see Agust-D, a South Korean rapper, perform in New York. The process of securing tickets was intense (to say the least!)—but after all the effort, it was absolutely worth it.