The experience of cancer runs deep in many families, with parents, grandparents, and friends often facing cancer diagnosis and treatment. Miami University professor and researcher Rick Page knows what it’s like—three of his grandparents died from the disease. That life experience sparked his drive and interest, and his research delves into the inner workings of cells, aiming to unlock new pathways for effective cancer treatment.
Page started his career on the West Coast, studying biochemistry at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. He then attended graduate school at Florida State, where he doubled down on his interest in proteins, following up with a post-doctoral fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic. That’s where he drilled even further into protein quality control, an important process that ensures proteins fold into their correct shapes and function the way they’re supposed to. Proteins do a lot of work to carry oxygen and fight off infections, but if they’re folded incorrectly and not working properly it can cause harm to the body. “If you think about origami, it has a particular form and may have some function that it’s capable of doing,” says Page. “When it’s not folded properly, you don’t end up with that same product that you’re supposed to [and] it doesn’t have that same shape or function. That’s what we’re doing. We’re looking fundamentally at how proteins fold and what happens when things go wrong.” Once there’s more understanding around the folds and functions of proteins, Page says researchers can develop responsive cancer treatments.
Getting students involved in research
Students at all levels are involved in Page’s research lab. From first-year undergrads to graduate students wrapping up their studies, all are working in the lab. Page says biochemistry undergraduates and others get hands-on experience to figure out what they want in their career: Do they want to do research? What is it about science and the scientific process that captures their attention and imagination? For students who want to continue into medical school, Page says it’s an opportunity to get a look into the biology behind the disease so that when they’re doctors, they understand it when a patient presents with that disease.
“[Miami] is a wonderful combination of focus on both teaching and research,” says Page. “It’s teaching outside of the classroom and the research lab. It’s this cohesive environment that really all builds towards launching students to become not just better educated, but curious, creative, and innovative.”
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