My specific area of interest is the pharmacogenetics of anticancer drugs in children. This involves the investigation of tumor response in children receiving specific chemotherapeutic agents and the sensitivity of these individuals to the toxic side effects of the drugs. My goal is to study the clinical relevance of and the relationships between genotype and phenotype of important drug metabolizing enzymes, drug transporters, and drug receptors expressed in germline DNA. Throughout my research experiences thus far, I have primarily focused on conducting a clinical pharmacology research project at Moi University Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret, Kenya as part of the robust IU-Kenya partnership. This work will hopefully allow us to optimize vincristine use in pediatric patients in Kenya with the potential for future expansion (with collaboration through my mentors at IU) to children around the world.
