In the Rosato lab, I am working with a highly translational team of researchers, infectious disease physicians and oncologists to understand how the gut microbiome alters outcomes and responses to therapies in patients with triple-negative breast cancer.

Mentor: Dr. Michaela Reagan MaineHealth Institute for Research My thesis work is focused on the blood cancer, multiple myeloma. Multiple myeloma is associated with obesity, a metabolic disease characterized by dysregulated fatty acid metabolism. Therefore my thesis focuses on using molecular, genetic, pharmacological and bioengineering methods to understand the molecular mechanisms of how fatty acid metabolism influences multiple myeloma cells proliferation, survival and drug resistance. Related Publication(s):1) Murphy, CS, Liaw L, Reagan MR. In vitro tissue-engineered adipose constructs for modeling disease. BMC Biomedical Engineering. 2019 October; 1(27). doi: 10.1186/s42490-019-0027-7 Other Activities:-Student Representative on the Graduate School of Biomedical Science and Engineering (GSBSE) Steering Committee (2021)-Student and Postdoctoral Association: -Work with a team of trainees, staff and faculty to organize events and provide resources that benefit career-building and seeking skills. -Coordinate community-building activities. -Coordinate selection of invited seminar speakers Related Presentations: -Carvalho AL*, Langlais A* and Murphy CS*. Crafting Career Development: Diverse Networking as a Tool for Career Path Decision-making. NPA Annual Meeting (Postponed due to COVID-19). -Carvalho AL*, Langlais A* and Murphy CS*. State of the Art Science: Art as a Tool to Build Community Inside and Out of Research Settings. NPA Annual Meeting (Postponed due to COVID -19).-MHIR Engagement Council Member -Work with a team of faculty, staff and trainees to develop strategies to support activities that support employee professional development, dependent support, wellness and safety.

Mentor: Dr. Ralph IsbergActivities:-Investigated of the mechanisms of Legionella pneumophila translocated substrates to induce mammalian cell cycle arrest using western blotting, immunofluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry of synchronized mammalian cell lines. Related Publications: 1) de Jesús D., Murphy CS, Sol, A, Dorer M., Isberg RR. Entry of host cell cycle into S-phase prevents Legionella pneumophila vacuole stabilization and replication. MBio. 2017 Aug 22;8(4).2) Sol A, Lipo E, de Jesús-Díaz DA, Murphy C, Devereux M, Isberg RR. Legionella pneumophila translocated translation inhibitors are required for bacterial-induced host cell cycle arrest. Proc Natl Acad Sci. 2019 Feb 19;116(8):3221-3228-Characterized host cell factors important for Yersinia pseudotuberculosis type III secretion system function using western blotting, immunofluorescence microscopy, membrane fractionation, siRNAs in mammalian cells infected with Y. pseudotuberculosis.

Mentor: Dr. Nelson Lau.Activities:-Used CRISPR/Cas9 to engineer knockouts in genes involved in piRNA biogenesis using Bombyx mori cell lines.-Xenopus laevis and X. tropicalis colony maintenance

Mentor: Dr. Ralph IsbergActivities:-Designed, constructed, and validated iron-sensitive reporter constructs in L. pneumophila to investigate the role of iron during L. pneumophila infection of mammalian cells. (May 2013-August 2013)-Dissected protein-protein interactions between the L. pneumophila containing vesicle and the host endoplasmic reticulum using co-immunoprecipitation and western blotting of mammalian cells transfected with epitope tagged proteins. (May 2012-August 2012)Related Publications:1) Haenssler E., Ramabhadran V., Murphy CS, Heitman MI, Isberg RR. Endoplasmic reticulum tubule protein reticulon 4 associates with the Legionella pneumophila vacuole and with translocated substrate Ceg9. Infect Immun.. 83(9):3479-89. (2015)-Made and confirmed genetic knockouts of the Type III Secretion System in Y. pseudotuberculosis. (May 2011-August 2011)-Constructed Gateway library of L. pneumophila translocated substrates. (September 2010-December 2010