Computer-assisted Microscopy for Identification of Heterogeneous (Cancer Stem) Cell Population in Diagnosis and Prognosis

Speaker: Rengul Cetin-Atalay
Affiliation: Middle East Technical University, Turkey

Abstract: Cancer is a complex disease which is defined by uncontrolled proliferation and spreading of abnormal cells. Cancer tissue includes cell groups that have different characteristics – so-called side population which includes cancer stem cells. In current cancer treatment, “personalized therapies” present improved prognosis and survival rates. One approach to personalized treatment is the identification of side populations by digital pathologic analysis of cancer tissue samples. Computer-assisted microscopy systems can contemplate the effort of tissue analysis and improve diagnostic accuracy.  This talk focuses on the development of microscopy scanning and the software system for the detection of specific application in cancer stem cells. We are developing a prediction method that could be used in clinics to determine cancer stem cell ratio. Thus, a reliable and fast tool will be presented for the use of pathologists and oncologists to decide on treatment strategy. The talk will bring opportunities for multidisciplinary work to the attention of a signal processing audience.

Biography: Rengul Cetin-Atalay received her M.D. degree from Hacettepe University Medical School, Ankara, Turkey in 1992. She then obtained her Diplôme d’Etudes Approfondies (DEA) in 1994 and Ph.D. degree in 1997 from Université de Paris-Sud, Orsay, France. She carried out her doctoral studies as research assistant at Ecole Polytechnique, Paris, France. Between 1997-2014, Dr. Cetin-Atalay was an Associate Professor at  Bilkent University. She worked as an assistant professor at Virginia Bioinformatics Institute, during her sabbatical leave in 2004. She is currently an Associate Professor in the Bioinformatics Department at Middle East Technical University, Turkey.

Dr. Cetin-Atalay’s research interests lie in the fields of bioinformatics and molecular cellular biology of liver cancer. Her current research in bioinformatics involves the computational techniques for the analysis of protein sequence and cellular pathways annotation. Her wet laboratory research focuses on the cellular stress mechanisms in liver cancer and the identification and molecular characterization of natural or synthetic cytotoxic compounds as candidate therapeutic agents in liver cancer. In addition she is interested in the computational analysis of cancer cell microscopic images under chemical stress. She has collaborations with Imperial College, UK, VBI, Virginia Tech, USA and University of Ferrara, Italy. She is a member of StemChem COST action CM1106 where she collaborates with participating institutes on the bioactivities of small molecules in liver cancer.

Dr. Cetin-Atalay received Turkish Academy of Sciences Young Investigator Award, International Cancer Fellowship from Union for International Cancer Control, Switzerland and Sanovel Pharmaceuticals INC, Drug research award. She is one of the founders of the Turkish Bioinformatics Society.

For more information, contact Prof. Aydogan Ozcan (ozcan@g.ucla.edu)

Date/Time:
Date(s) - Mar 16, 2016
11:00 am - 12:00 pm

Location:
E-IV Tesla Room #53-125
420 Westwood Plaza - 5th Flr., Los Angeles CA 90095