This past summer, Cassie Winz, a PhD candidate in the Joint Graduate Program in Toxicology (JGPT), participated in the BigCARE Summer Workshop: Big Data Training for Cancer Research at the University of California, Irvine. This two-week intensive program, funded by the National Cancer Institute, provided advanced training in the generation, analysis, and integration of large-scale biological datasets relevant to cancer research.
Cassie gained hands-on experience in using computational tools like R, Linux, and Anvil to process large data sets, which is directly applicable to her research on endocrine-disrupting compounds and breast cancer progression. She was able to directly apply these skills to the analysis of RNA sequencing data for the final aim of her doctoral thesis. In addition to technical training, the program emphasized fostering collaboration across disciplines. Cassie contributed her toxicology expertise while building valuable connections with medical oncologists, cancer researchers, and data scientists from across the country.