Dr. Belinda Heyne

Research Interests
"With a diet rich in antioxidants you can lower your risk of developing cancer" is a statement often used by public media. References to the noxious effects of free radicals and oxidative stress are becoming more popular. But what is the exact implication of free radicals in development of cancer? This is the major goal of our group.

In other words, our research group tries to understand the role played by free radicals but more generally reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the development of cancer. We investigate the mechanism of action of different ROS on the female extrogenic activity that can lead to breast cancer. It is important to note that according to the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation (www.cbcf.org), breast cancer is the most common cancer among Canadian women.

Our research program is multi-disciplinary and students are trained to different spectroscopic techniques such as fluorescence, absorption, circular dichroism (CD), and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. Students are exposed to analytical techniques such as HPLC and GC chromatography. The multi-disciplinary aspect of our projects provides also an opportunity to become familiar with biological techniques such as cell culture, extraction and purification of proteins. The training provided in our group will enable students to explore careers in industry (biotechnology, cosmetic, food science), government or academia.

* M.J. Green and H.A.O. Hill