CPS Grad Spotlight - Elyse Digby

Friday, February 10, 2023 - 09:00

Name: Elyse Digby

MSc or PhD Candidate: PhD Candidate

Location of Undergraduate Education: H.B.Sc., Biological Chemistry Specialist at the University of Toronto Mississauga

Name of the Lab at CPS: Beharry Lab

Selected Awards: General Motors Women in Science and Mathematics Award from the University of Toronto (2022), Queen Elizabeth II/Pfizer Graduate Scholarship in Science and Technology – Dina Gordon Malkin (2022/2023), Huguette J. Cohen Award at the University of Toronto Mississauga (2022).

Selected Research Contributions:

Digby, E. M.¹, Ayan, S.¹, Shrestha, P.², Gehrmann, E. J.², Winter, A. H.², Beharry, A. A.*¹ A Photocaged DNA binding photosensitizer enables photocontrol of nuclear entry for dual-targeted photodynamic therapy. J. Med. Chem., 2022, 65(24), 16679-16694. https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c01504.
Digby, E. M.¹, Tung, M. T.¹, Kagalwala, H. S.², Ryan, L. S.², Lippert, A. R²., Beharry, A. A.*¹ Dark Dynamic Therapy: Photosensitization without Light Excitation. ACS Chem. Biol., 2022, 17(5), 1082-1091. https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acschembio.1c00925.
Digby, E. M.¹, Ma, T.², Zipfel, W. R.³, Milstein, J. M.², Beharry, A. A.*¹ Highly potent photoinactivation of bacteria using a water soluble, cell permeable, DNA-binding photosensitizer. ACS Infect. Dis. 2021, 7(11), 3052-3061. https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsinfecdis.1c00313.

Elyse, please tell us about yourself and your journey as a PhD Candidate!

How did you come to UTM? What interested you to join a lab here?

I attended UTM as an undergraduate student in the Biological Chemistry Specialist program from 2014-2018. During the summer before my 4^th year, I completed a required CHM489 (thesis project) in Dr. Beharry’s lab. I really loved my time learning all things organic and biological chemistry, and also his mentoring style, such that when the opportunity for applying to graduate school came up, I asked him if he would take me on as a student. I was very excited about the research I was going to be able to pursue in his lab and the opportunity to have an amazing PI and mentor who has always been available to train me, provide feedback (i.e., research, presentations, scientific writing, etc.), and troubleshoot problems that arise.

When did you realize that you wanted to pursue a graduate study?

I realized I wanted to pursue a graduate study in the 4^th year of my undergraduate degree, and to further pursue a Ph.D. after a few months into starting graduate school. I initially wanted to obtain a M.Sc. because I thought I wanted to become a dentist. However, after only a few months into graduate school I realized that I had a very strong passion for research and finding ways to help contribute to helping people suffering from disease. Although the research I conducted during my Ph.D. was at the research and development stage, there was always a future translational application, such that everything I was working on always gave me a deeper purpose.

What are your research interests? Tell us few exciting things about your research.

My research interests include the design, synthesis, and application of novel small molecule photosensitizers to be used to improve the efficacy of the clinically approved cancer treatment, photodynamic therapy (PDT). Using only 3 components – a photosensitizer, low-energy light, and molecular oxygen – reactive oxygen species (ROS) can be produced and ultimately induce cancer cell death. My research projects explored designing photosensitizers that would be selectively activated in cancers overexpressing certain enzyme targets (e.g.., human NAD(P)H quinone oxidoreductase 1), a photosensitizer that was able to directly target and damage DNA (Br-DAPI), and a proof-of-concept molecule that we demonstrated to produce ROS without the requirement of light (where the limited penetration depth of visible light used in PDT is a drawback of the therapy). One of the exciting things about the Br-DAPI compound, was that we were able to demonstrate its efficacy as a stand-alone photosensitizer, then modify it in such a way that we were able to improve its efficacy to induce cancer cell death, and further demonstrate its ability to be used for antimicrobial PDT (a technique used to help combat antibiotic resistance). With this one easily synthesized molecule, we were able to optimize and explore multiple applications where it was effective.

What is your goal when you finish your degree?

When I complete my Ph.D., my goal is to pursue a career in research with a focus on disease diagnostics and treatments. I recently started a postdoctoral position in Dr. Ralph DaCosta’s Lab at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre (UHN), where I am using an intravital imaging platform (previously developed by his lab), to understand the biology between leukemia cells and the bone marrow microenvironment in real time, using living mice models. In doing so, we aim to identify novel therapeutics that can be implemented for treating leukemia patients. I hope to gain valuable skills in a preclinical/clinical research lab during my postdoctoral fellowship, and ultimately apply it to research in an industry setting with a focus on either cancer or Crohn’s disease.

What are some of your achievements you'd like to share?

Some achievements I would like to share are my involvement in both the scientific and broader community. I have had the opportunity to present at 7 conferences (both national and international) during my Ph.D. studies, where the experience of presenting and meeting experts in the field was helpful to my development as a scientist. I have also been involved with the Canadian Association of Girls in Science, where my role as a co-coordinator involves organizing monthly STEM events for girls ages 7-16. Here I have been able to share my excitement for science with young girls who are also inquisitive and eager to learn. Lastly, I use my passion for running and biking to raise money for research by participating in numerous marathons and bike rides. These experiences have given me the chance to combine two passions in my life (health/wellness and science) in a fun way.

Do you have any advice for students considering to pursue graduate studies in research?

Some advice for students considering pursuing graduate studies in research is to find a lab where the research questions and techniques used excite you and make you want to learn more. I always love coming into lab and working, even if things are not always going the way I planned because research is an ongoing field where there are always ways you can optimize and explore further questions that ultimately are solving real life problems. I think that having a good working relationship with your supervisor is key and being open to receiving constructive criticism and having to sometimes troubleshoot for long periods of time. I personally believe you learn not only wet lab skills in graduate school, but also a lot of real-life techniques to help you navigate through life and mature as an individual.