Contact

  • Academic
    audreykt@stanford.edu
    University - Student Department: School of Medicine Position: Graduate, Medicine

Additional Info

  • Mail Code: 5151

All Publications

  • Technological Interventions to Address Cardiovascular Health Disparities Impacting Racial Minorities: Opportunities and Challenges. Trends in cardiovascular medicine Todd, A., Lavie, C. J., Abohashem, S. 2025

    Abstract

    Racial minority groups suffer from higher rates of cardiovascular disease CVD and related conditions relative to White Americans due to multiple factors, including on average lower income, hazardous neighborhoods, and reduced access to healthcare. Digital health (mHealth) technologies, such as mobile apps and wearable devices, are an increasingly utilized method of health management that provide a promising option for patients to track and manage aspects of their health in ways that can be integrated into daily life and shared amongst community members. However, challenges facing the widespread adoption of these technologies in underrepresented groups include limited digital health literacy, lack of cultural tailoring, and distrust of healthcare resources. To promote the adoption of mHealth in these communities, policy changes that establish community partnership at all levels of mHealth development, improve digital health literacy, and increase access to mHealth can be enacted.

    View details for DOI 10.1016/j.tcm.2025.03.005

    View details for PubMedID 40169097

  • Multidimensional screening of pancreatic cancer spheroids reveals vulnerabilities in mitotic and cell-matrix adhesion signaling that associate with metastatic progression and decreased patient survival. Biochemical and biophysical research communications Aquino, A. F., Runa, F., Shoma, J. F., Todd, A., Wallace, M., de Barros, N. R., Kelber, J. A. 2024; 703: 149575

    Abstract

    Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a highly aggressive malignancy, with a median survival of less than 12 months and a 5-year survival of less than 10 %. Here, we have established an image-based screening pipeline for quantifying single PDAC spheroid dynamics in genetically and phenotypically diverse PDAC cell models. Wild-type KRas PDAC cells formed tight/compact spheroids - compaction of these structures was completely blocked by cytoplasmic dynein and focal adhesion kinase (FAK) inhibitors. In contrast, PDAC cells containing mutant KRas formed loosely aggregated spheroids that grew significantly slower following inhibition of polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1) or focal adhesion kinase (FAK). Independent of genetic background, multicellular PDAC-mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC) spheroids self-organized into structures with an MSC-dominant core. The inclusion of MSCs into wild-type KRas PDAC spheroids modestly affected their compaction; however, MSCs significantly increased the compaction and growth of mutant KRas PDAC spheroids. Notably, exogenous collagen 1 potentiated PANC1 spheroid compaction while ITGA1 knockdown in PANC1 cells blocked MSC-induced PANC1 spheroid compaction. In agreement with a role for collagen-based integrin adhesion complexes in stromal cell-induced PDAC phenotypes, we also discovered that MSC-induced PANC1 spheroid growth was completely blocked by the ITGB1 immunoneutralizing antibody mAb13. Finally, multiplexed single-cell immunohistochemical analysis of a 25 patient PDAC tissue microarray revealed a relationship between decreased variance in Spearman r correlation for ITGA1 and PLK1 expression within the tumor cell compartment of PDAC in patients with advanced disease stage, and elevated expression of both ITGA1 and PLK1 in PDAC was found to be associated with decreased patient survival. Taken together, this work uncovers new therapeutic vulnerabilities in PDAC that are relevant to the progression of this stromal cell-rich malignancy and which may reveal strategies for improving patient outcomes.

    View details for DOI 10.1016/j.bbrc.2024.149575

    View details for PubMedID 38382357

    View details for PubMedCentralID PMC10983059