PhD Student Spotlight: Nicole Guilz
What have you learned from your time at the IHN?
During my tenure at the IHN, I have learned about the thoroughness, dedication, and persistence of seeing a five-year project to the end. At several points along the way, my committee provided feedback that changed the direction of our research, and by the end, most of my thesis data had been generated in the last 8-9 months. This experience has given me the skills to conduct research thoughtfully and to keep an open mind.
Is there a memory that stands out from your time at the IHN?
I participated in the Med into Grad program in my second year, where I shadowed the director of medical nutrition for CUIMC. I still remember the patients we visited and the clinic's impact on my research and professional goals. From this experience, I knew I wanted to study immunodeficiencies or cancer immunotherapies further.
What brought you to pursue a PhD in Nutritional and Metabolic Biology?
After completing my Masters in Biomaterial Science at NYU, I was eager to pursue a Ph.D. to engage in independent research, particularly in the captivating field of metabolic biology, where the interplay between nutrition and human disease intrigued me. Despite my initial focus on nutritional and metabolic biology, I found myself joining an immunology lab that was not directly related to my focus. However, I think our NMB curriculum helped me to consider other aspects of immunity that my lab hadn’t considered before.
Could you provide a brief summary of your Thesis?
In my lab, we focused on the study of natural killer (NK) cells, crucial components of the immune system responsible for safeguarding the body against viral infections and cancer. Although natural killer cell deficiency is a rare occurrence, my attention has been drawn to a specific group of patients previously documented with mutations in various proteins associated with CMG helicase and NKD. These proteins play a vital role in protecting our DNA by unwinding the double helix, facilitating the process of replication. Consequently, mutations in CMG helicase genes have been shown to have adverse effects on reproduction, inducing stress.
My research has delved into the exploration of replication stress in NK cells, revealing a heightened susceptibility to programmed cell death compared to other cell types, such as T cells. Furthermore, it has become evident that replication stress negatively impacts the ability of NK cells to eliminate infected cells, thereby rendering individuals with mutations in helicase proteins more susceptible to severe and recurrent viral infections.
The significance of this research was underscored by my collaboration with a patient, where we identified a novel gene contributing to an NK cell phenotype. This collaborative effort allowed us to apply our previous insights into replication stress, shedding light on the unique phenotype exhibited by the patient. The overall experience has been exceptionally rewarding, emphasizing the practical implications of our work in understanding and addressing the complexities of immune system function in the context of genetic mutations.
