Exploring the role of the gut microbiome and lifestyle in breast cancer

Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer worldwide. Current prevention strategies are generalized and have shown limited effect on reducing the burden of breast cancer on a population level; therefore, there is a critical need for more targeted and personalized prevention strategies. As estrogen is a causal factor in breast cancer development, our current case-control study explores the role of the gut microbiome, diet and lifestyle factors on estrogen levels in the body. Our aim is to target microbiome-based pathways, possibly through a dietary intervention, as a novel prevention strategy for breast cancer; however, to achieve this, the findings need to be validated and we need to understand generalizability to the broader population. This GRA project will validate the findings in a larger population cohort in France who have different geography and demographics to increase the robustness and generazability of our findings and to amplify the impact to a global level.

Faculty Supervisor:

Rachel Murphy

Student:

Partner:

Université Sorbonne Paris Nord

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Education

University:

The University of British Columbia

Program: