Each Human Being Has The Right To Quality Life: Reducing Health
Disparities
Our Cell Culture Lab
The ability to replicate cellular in vivo growth conditions in vitro over prolonged periods of time has been a challenging feat, one that dates to the late nineteenth century when Wilhelm Roux attempted to maintain chicken embryonic cells in a saline buffer for a few days. Subsequently, Ross Harrison successfully maintained frog nerve cells in 1907 for a short while using the hanging drop method. The successful growth of mammalian cells in culture was believed to hold significant promise in understanding various diseases towards their amelioration, a solution being tissue cloning.
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After decades of momentous attempts, it wasn’t until 1952 that the first human immortal cell line was developed by a woman called Henrietta Lacks. Some say success was primarily due to the aggressive nature of her tumour. Notwithstanding, scientists by then had refined culture mediums that contained necessary ingredients in appropriate proportions aimed at optimizing cell growth and survival coupled with perfecting additional growing conditions. The development of mammalian cell lines has thus far contributed to the polio vaccine, gene mapping, and uncovering of secrets of cancer and viruses. It however continues to be challenging to develop new cell lines despite the many hurdles that have already been overcome, highlighting the selectiveness of each cell line. Currently, there is a less than 10% success rate in generating prostate cancer cell lines. There is now a paradigm shift from the lock and key-approach towards disease treatment to a personalized one. Achieving the latter involves DNA sequencing from various populous and the human genome project has made significant strides towards this end. However, what is now evident is the disparity in information for men of African ancestry (MAA) compared to men of European ancestry (MEA). Of note, is the higher incidence and mortality rates of prostate cancer for MAA compared to MEA. Disparities of this nature are also evident between women of African ancestry (WAA) and women of European ancestry (WEA) with breast cancer. Although WEA experiences higher incidence, WAA still experiences higher rates of mortality. In particular, Jamaican women on average are diagnosed with breast cancer at a younger age relative to the global population. It is on this basis that the ACRJ lab was founded as it has embarked on the quest to develop novel human cell lines from the Jamaican people, an area that will be expanded to the Caribbean. These tools will become available to the global scientific community for screening, it is believed that these tools will contribute to understanding the whys for these current disparities and pave the way for personalized solutions.
ACRJ will be the leading anticancer research facility in the region to
facilitate Avant-garde anticancer research that will increase the understanding of cancer
disparities and transition the region’s natural products to safer and personalized anticancer
therapies; needed to improve quality of life for all patients with cancer.
– Photos of the ACRJ Cell Culture Lab –
Located at the UWI Mona Campus, the lab is a world-leading and renowned cell culture research facility equipped with first-class technologies and infrastructure for in-depth scientific experiments, observations, reporting and analysis.
Our Projects
Making the world cancer-free one research at a time
Our Investigators
Say hello to the scientists and doctors behind the lab doors
Dr Simone Badal is currently a Senior Lecturer in Biochemistry at the University of the West Indies, Mona where she is focused on pioneering the development of novel Jamaican prostate and breast cancer cell lines and undergraduate and postgraduate lecturing. Funding from the National Health Fund in the amount of $7.5 million allowed Dr Badal to outfit the ACRJ Cell Culture Lab. This would pave the way for her current research with the long-term goal of developing novel cancer therapeutics for Black men and women with cancer. More recent funding from the NIH, and K43 Global Leader Award is advancing this research. As a Research Fellow at the Natural Products Institute, Dr Badal’s research was focused on screening the effects of Jamaican natural and synthetic compounds for potential anticancer properties using established Caucasian cell lines. Her work paved the way for the development of specialized research facilities dedicated to such research, noteworthy publications (to date she has published more than 40 publications in peer-reviewed journals), and a patent pending. Dr Badal has received many awards and accolades including the prestigious Elsevier Award (she was one of five women Chemists around the world to receive this prize for being a leading young chemist where she represented the Latin America and Caribbean regions), the JPS/SRC young scientist/technologist awardee for 2012, and the inaugural Luther Speare scholar recipient. Dr Badal published her first textbook on Pharmacognosy in 2017, for which she single-handedly signed a contract deal with one of the leading scientific publishers, Elsevier. Due to the success of the first Edition, she was commissioned for a second Edition that should be published in 2023. Dr Badal conceived the idea of having a facility in Jamaica that is dedicated to cutting-edge anticancer research, hence Anti-Cancer Research Jamaica (ACRJ) was formed. One of her most recent accomplishments is being featured in Nature, one of the world’s most prestigious journals, for her work on developing cancer cell lines of Caribbean origin. She received her PhD, MPhil, and BSc (Hons) from the UWI, Mona and her MBA from the University of Wales, Cardiff.
Her new memoir, No Cell Left Behind is set to hit shelves in April of 2023.
Publications:
News:
- Scientific Research Council celebrates nine female scientists
- FST Alum Dr Simone Badal making massive breakthroughs in the fight against prostate cancer
- Nature Awards Inspiring Women in Science
- NIH Grantee Spotlight: Simone Badal, PhD.
- Nature The biotechnologists making their mark on the international stage
- UWI Mona’s Simone Badal McCreath receives prestigious Award for cancer research
Dr William Derval Aiken, a clinician with 20+ years’ experience specializing in Urology, Epidemiology and Tropical Medicine, is the Head of Urology at the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) and Supervisor of the Doctor of Medicine Program in Urology at the University of the West Indies (UWI), Jamaica. As a surgeon who actively treats patients at the UHWI, Dr Aiken is ideally positioned to collaborate in the area of tissue procurement (tissue chips, blood and urine samples and associated reagents, personnel, and resources) and initial processing. Moreover, the project will benefit significantly from Dr. Aiken’s intellectual input based on his decades-long specialization in urology and related research. Dr Aiken also has a distinguished and longstanding record of collaborating in studies to improve prostate cancer outcomes in men of African descent across the Caribbean. Representative examples of participation in professional societies include his current role as President of the Caribbean Urological Society; Member, of the American Urological Association; and Member of the African Caribbean Cancer Consortium. This vast network generated from participation in regional urological and cancer associations facilitates the procurement of tissue samples from other target countries. Dr Aiken’s publication record is indicative of his interest and determination to impact prostate cancer treatment in men of African Descent, and these include epidemiological studies which highlight the significance of prostate cancer in the Caribbean region and the disparities which exist. As such, Dr Aiken is keen on participating in this international collegial effort to address this disparity through the use of high-throughput sequencing of patient tumour samples and cell line development.
Publications:
Dr Rory Thompson graduated from the University of the West Indies (UWI) Mona with an MBBS degree in 2007 and then successfully completed the postgraduate residency training programme in Anatomical Pathology (DM Pathology) at UWI Mona in 2013. Subsequently, he was granted a post-doctorate fellowship training position as a Toronto Tri-Hospital (Mt Sinai Hospital, Sick Kids Hospital & Toronto General Hospital) GI Pathology fellow, which was completed in 2015.
During his residency, he was exposed to the length and breadth of pathology and laboratory medicine, and he then instituted quality assurance techniques for grossing of specimens and algorithmic flow charts for the handling of extra-departmental and interdepartmental immunohistochemistry consults. Fellowship training allowed for the amalgamation and consolidation of principles of pathology, medicine, and patient management. The most important tenet garnered in his experiences and training was the crucial role that the pathologist plays in the multidisciplinary approach to patient care.
Upon completion of the sub-specialization, he returned to Jamaica to embark on his new role as a Consultant Anatomical Pathologist at the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) and as a Lecturer (for undergraduate and postgraduate programmes) at the University of the West Indies (UWI). Currently, he is the director of the immunohistochemistry (IHC) service at the University of the West Indies, and he is responsible for processing, staining, reading, and reporting all ancillary investigations generated in the IHC laboratory. The laboratory is now undergoing evaluation utilizing the Jamaica National Agency for Accreditation.
Some publications by Dr Rory Thompson are:
Dr Warren Chin did his undergraduate medical training at the University of the West Indies (Mona) and subsequently completed his post-graduate residency training in Urologic Surgery at the same institution, attaining a D.M. degree in Urology in 2008. In 2010, he went on to pursue a clinical fellowship in endourology and laparoscopic surgery in Melbourne, Australia, with Southern Health/Monash University.
Dr Chin is a Consultant Urologist at the Kingston Public Hospital, Jamaica, where he is responsible for the management of patients from the entire island with a variety of urologic disorders, including prostate cancer and urinary stone disease. His main areas of clinical interest are endoscopic urinary stone surgery, prostate and bladder surgery, and renal laparoscopic surgery.
Dr Chin is an associate lecturer at the University of the West Indies and has a clinical practice at Island Medical Specialists. He is on the Executive of the Jamaica Urological Society and currently serves as secretary of that association. He is a full member of several international professional associations, including the American Urology Association, the European Association of Urology, and the Endourological Society. Dr Chin is a volunteer Urologist with the Jamaica Cancer Society and participates in prostate cancer screening programs.
Some publications by Dr Warren Chin are:
Dr Sheray Ward-Chin is a Consultant in Medical Oncology and Internal Medicine, with clinical practices at the University Hospital of the West Indies and Island Medical Specialists in Kingston, Jamaica. She is a graduate of the University of the West Indies where she completed medical school (M.B.B.S. degree, with Honors) and then went on to postgraduate training, attaining a D.M. in Internal Medicine in 2005. She went on to pursue sub-speciality training in Medical Oncology at the University of Toronto (2006-2008), under the Raymond Chang Caribbean Fellowship Scholarship.
Dr Chin is a lecturer at the UWI, and since joining its Staff, has contributed to the introduction of postgraduate training in Medical Oncology at the University, and the development of multi-disciplinary cancer care at the University Hospital of the West Indies. She specializes in the management of solid tumours, with special areas of interest including locally advanced breast cancer, optimizing cancer care in Jamaica, multidisciplinary cancer care, reducing cancer health disparities, and cancer prevention strategies.
Some Publications:
- Ward-Chin, S., McFarlane, M. E., & Lindo, J. L. (2021). Breast cancer awareness and screening practices in Jamaica: a qualitative study. BMC Women’s Health, 21(1), 1-12. https://bmcwomenshealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12905-021-01295-4
- Thomas, L., Ward-Chin, S., Josephs, D. H., & Kerr, D. (2022). The evolving landscape of HER2-positive breast cancer. Breast Cancer Research, 24(1), 1-12. https://breast-cancer-research.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13058-022-01551-x
- Ward-Chin, S., et al. (2020). Characterization of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma in a Jamaican population using next-generation sequencing. Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention Biomarkers, 29(6 Supplement 2), A071. https://aacrjournals.org/cebp/article/29/6_Supplement_2/A071/231106/Abstract-A071-Characterization-of-head-and-neck
- Soares, R., Ward, S., et al. (2011). An international study of quality of life in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer treated with best supportive care and the combination of interferon-α and thalidomide: a phase III randomized clinical trial. Quality of Life Research, 20(2), 149-159. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1526820911706541
Dr Derria Cornwall is a Consultant Radiologist at the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) who also heads the hospital’s mammography unit. In addition to her role at the UHWI, Dr Cornwall is the President of the Jamaica Association of Radiologists. Dr Cornwall plays an integral role in the identification of patients with suspect masses in the breast, from which tissue samples may be obtained.
Some publications:
- https://bmcwomenshealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12905-021-01295-4
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35266120/
News:
Dr Elon Thompson is currently a consultant in Urology at the University Hospital of the West Indies. After graduating from the University of the West Indies with a Bachelor of Medicine, and a Bachelor of Surgery in 2007, Dr Thompson enrolled in the residency program in 2009 and completed it in December 2016. Dr Thompson is currently the President of the Jamaica Medical Doctors Association while also serving as a member of the Jamaica Urological Doctors Association and the American Urological Association.
Our Researcher Students
Say hello to our future minds
Ms Shannique Clarke is currently a Biochemistry M.Phil. student at the University of the West Indies, Mona, who was also awarded a B.Sc. in Biochemistry with First Class Honours from this institution. To date, Ms Clarke has amassed 15 academic awards, 9 of which were received during her time as an undergraduate student.
A research project completed during her undergraduate studies imparted crucial research skills and acted as a primer for the current undertaking of establishing novel breast cancer cell lines of Caribbean origin. Through her M.Phil. project, she has developed the first breast cancer cell line in the Caribbean, ACRJ-BC24. Ms Clarke is expected to graduate from the UWI, Mona in 2023 with her M.Phil.
Publications:
– https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=9xMmi8oAAAAJ&hl=en&authuser=1
Ms. Radian Smith graduated from the University of the West Indies, Mona with a B.Sc. in Biochemistry as a student in the Faculty of Science and Technology. She also pursued a minor in Management Studies. Ms. Smith served the university as a UCAM Cares coordinator, class representative for various courses, general secretary for the Commuting Science and Technology Committee as well as a member of the faculty’s Guild Committee. With her love for science and zeal for making a meaningful contribution to society, she is currently pursuing an M.Phil. in Biochemistry in the Faculty of Medical Sciences. She currently focuses on developing novel prostate cancer cell lines from Jamaican men.
Mr Akeem Whitehead is a graduate of the University of the West Indies, Mona where he received his B.Sc. degree in Animal Biology. He is currently pursuing an M.Sc. degree in Biomedical Research at the Faculty of Medical Sciences. His love for Biomedical Research has led him to focus on the field of cancer research, where he aspires to develop prostate cancer cell lines. His goal is to contribute to the discovery of novel anticancer drugs and make a significant impact on the scientific community by improving patient outcomes
Ms. Chelsi James graduated from the University of the West Indies, Mona, Faculty of Science and Technology with a B.Sc. in Biotechnology and a minor in Psychology. She is currently pursuing a M.Sc. in Biomedical Research, Faculty of Medical Sciences. She has a love for the sciences, but more specifically the molecular and genetic fields. Being an avid lover of volunteerism, she has also served in several outreach activities in her community. She hopes to be able to contribute, not only to the scientific community but also the wider public as she furthers her studies next year by starting a Ph.D. She hopes to further her studies into cancer research as this is an issue that is very personal to her.
Dr. Henkel Valentine was a Biochemistry PhD student in the Faculty of Medical Sciences at the University of the West Indies, Mona. Having previously completed a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Biology, Henkel transitioned to the MPhil program and later upgraded to a PhD, where his primary focus was developing the first Jamaican prostate cancer cell line, ACRJ-PC28, which he did! He was actively involved in university activities and served as a Resident Advisor for students living on the Taylor Hall of residence whilst providing academic counselling for first-year science students. Henkel graduated in November 2021 with High Commendations and is now a Postdoctoral researcher at the Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia.
Publications:
Mrs Krisan Legister was a young yet very mature, self-motivated individual. She completed a B.Sc. in Pharmacology from the University of the West Indies, Mona. During this, she was given a basic introduction to the techniques and procedures involved in culturing mammalian cells. Personal interest grew from such exposure. As such, she enrolled in the M.Sc. Biomedical Research program and her focus were on discovering potential anticancer compounds from the black mangrove in Jamaica. Krisan is now a Sales and Marketing Manager for Recharged Distributors Limited.
Our Researchers
Say hello to the scientists that help to achieve our results
Ms. Stacey Reid is currently a second-year Anatomy student at the Medical Faculty at the University of the West Indies, Mona. With eighteen years as an Entrepreneur specializing in the Cosmetology industry, she always had a desire for furthering her academic career in the medical arena. Still not sure if her career will take her in the field as a clinician, a researcher, or both, Stacey has recently joined the ACRJ team as a Research Assistant on the IRONMAN project. The project will enter its second year of recruitment in March 2023, and already she is making significant strides in improving our patient recruitment strategies through her people and savvy know-how skills.
Mr Mario Jackson completed a B.Sc. degree in Biochemistry at the University of the West Indies, Mona. He then pursued an M.Sc. degree in Biomedical Research. The program’s research component focused on the potential anti-cancer effects of compounds extracted from the White Mangrove in Jamaica. Mario is now employed as a Research Assistant in the ACRJ Lab on the International Registry for Men with Advanced Prostate Cancer (IRONMAN) and African Cancer Genome Registry (ACGR) projects.
Ms Brittania Simpson is a Junior Biotechnologist who graduated from The University of the West Indies, Mona with a B.Sc. in Biotechnology. Since then, she has honed her skills in natural product development by developing products like soaps, oils, butter, toners, moisturizers, and alcoholic beverages using seasonal fruits that she produces. She will be working at the ACRJ Lab as a Research Assistant for the ACGR project. She is also committed to working synergistically with the team to ensure that the goals and objectives of the project are successfully achieved.
Brittania is fun-loving, God-fearing and an appreciator of knowledge and its application. She wishes to gain more hands-on experience using molecular biology tools and fulfil her life’s goal and passion which is to improve cancer treatment outcomes in the Caribbean and African diaspora.