Science is an amazing career that involves life-long learning and discovery that never gets old. Find mentors of all kinds who support your passions, and don’t be afraid of hard work.
Trudy G. Oliver, PhD, is a professor of pharmacology and cancer biology who joined the Duke faculty in July 2021 as a Duke Science and Technology Scholar. She is focused on understanding the biology of under-studied subtypes of lung cancer, specifically squamous and small cell lung cancer. Her lab investigates mechanisms of tumor development, plasticity, and drug resistance to uncover vulnerabilities that can be therapeutically targeted.
What inspired you to pursue science as a career? Was there a specific person or experience that sent you down this path?
My great grandmother was diagnosed with lymphoma at the age of 91. I went with her to her chemotherapy sessions, and it really impacted me to see people of all ages and types receiving chemotherapy. I realized this could impact anyone and it is a devastating diagnosis. My great-grandmother ended up surviving to be 105 years old and was a tremendous inspiration to me. Later, when I was an undergraduate in college, a female mentor at the University of Colorado, Barb Helfrich, encouraged me to pursue a PhD in cancer biology. Barb’s mentorship, encouragement, and confidence in me led me to find Duke University, where I ultimately pursued my PhD in cancer biology, and where I fell in love with research.
Has there been a finding or development in your research that has surprised you recently? Tell me a bit about what that was and why it was surprising.
Yes! My lab has been working on a lung tumor type called small cell lung cancer (SCLC) for about 14 years. Everyone in our field has thought that SCLC arises from a cell in the lung called the neuroendocrine cell, which we all accepted because SCLC is a neuroendocrine type of tumor, and the data supporting that idea made sense. However, our recent studies modeling the disease, led by Abbie Ireland in the lab, have led us to the surprising conclusion that SCLC actually arises from a different cell in the lung called the basal cell, but it’s able to shape-shift and adopt a neuroendocrine identity. This ability for the cancer cells to change cell fate or identity is called “plasticity,” and it’s a major feature of cancer that makes it difficult to treat. But now that we have a better understanding of the some of the earliest moments of how this cancer arises, it is changing the way we think about treatment and has allowed us to design better models of the disease that I think will be much more predictive of what will occur in patients.
What advice would you give to young people aspiring to enter the field of science?
Follow your passion! Science is an amazing career that involves life-long learning and discovery that never gets old. It is so rewarding and exciting to discover something about life and biology that no one knew before you. It is a constant puzzle and mystery, but with the right tools, we can unravel complexities that can lead to ground-breaking advances in health and medicine. Find mentors of all kinds who support your passions, and don’t be afraid of hard work. It always pays off in spades.