Trainee of the Month – Ally Moore

Ally is a member of the Bramson Lab. Her research focuses on developing engineered γδ T cell therapy for glioblastoma, exploring their biology and interactions to enhance anti-tumor activity. Personal experiences with family members having cancer and the varying effectiveness of treatments inspired Ally to pursue cancer research for more targeted and less harmful therapies. She enjoys spending time with family and friends in her spare time, learning new things and binge-watching TV series.

Ally received the Cindy Lee Graham Award at the 2023 CDCR Research Day Symposium.

1.  What is your current research focus?

My research is focused on developing an off-the-shelf engineered γδ T cell therapy for glioblastoma. More specifically, my work explores the biology of γδ T cells and their interaction with glioblastoma cells, to identify engineering techniques that may enhance their anti-tumour activity.

2.  What made you interested in pursuing cancer research?

Many people in my family have had cancer and I have seen first-hand how the current therapeutic options can result in long-lasting negative health consequences. My hope is that this field can find more targeted therapeutics that don’t leave patients with pain or disability. Additionally, I have seen cancer therapy work well in some cases and not at all in other cases, and it is the latter case that compels me to do this work so that people can be given hope regardless of their diagnosis.

3.  What are your interests outside the CDCR and the lab?

Outside of the lab, I enjoy spending time with family and friends, learning new things and binge-watching TV series.