Kathleen Arcaro is a professor in the Department of Veterinary & Animal Sciences, and a member of the Models to Medicine Center in IALS
IALS: Hi Kathleen, thank you for speaking with us today. We have a few questions for you so everyone on campus can get to know you better. How long have you been at UMass Amherst?
KA: Since fall 2001.
IALS: Where did you grow up?
KA: Northern New Jersey.
IALS: Does the love of science run in your family?
KA: I never thought about that before. I guess the answer is yes, because we all love TV science shows and following clues to solve problems. I think that translates to an appreciation of science and the scientific process.
IALS: How long have you been teaching?
KA: My serious teaching began at UMass, before then I had varied teaching assistantships including field classes, laboratory classes, and lectures.
IALS: What is more stressful, grant proposals, research, or teaching?
KA: Teaching is much more stressful. I want my students to enjoy learning in my class and after all these years I’m still not comfortable with the “live performance” aspect of teaching. For me, research and even writing grant applications are fun and even relaxing… I sometimes can’t get over the reality that I am paid to learn.
IALS: Assuming your research is widely successful, how will it impact society?
KA: I envision a nationwide colostrum screening program for everyone who gives birth, similar to the current neonatal blood testing. Heel prick blood samples are a standard for newborns. The blood is spotted onto paper to test for phenylketonuria (PKU) and other congenital diseases. Untreated, PKU leads to severe cognitive disorders, but is managed with dietary restriction, and therefore, the 1 in 12,000 babies born with this metabolic disorder are saved from its debilitating consequences. In contrast, there is no comparable screen for detection of maternal pregnancy-associated breast cancer, with an estimated incidence of 1 in 3,000 to 1 in 10,000. Breast cancer remains the leading cancer diagnosis and the second leading cause of cancer mortality. Early detection is key to prevention. Pregnancy is associated with a transient increase in breast cancer risk and improved methods of detecting cancer in the lactating breast are needed. Milk provides a liquid biopsy as it includes the sloughed epithelial cells. If our research is successful colostrum and milk will be screened for somatic mutations, epigenetic marks, proteins etc., and provide guidance for individual breast cancer screening and prevention.
IALS: Who do you admire and why?
KA: That’s a coin flip between Rachel Carson and Frances Oldham Kelsey. Today I’ll choose Kelsey. She’s famous as the FDA scientist who prevented thalidomide from being approved in the United States to treat morning sickness and is credited with saving untold hundreds or thousands of babies from being born with birth defects, including missing limbs. I admire her because she was tough – she looked at the science and stuck with her requests for more data even under considerable pressure from the manufacturer.
IALS: What are your interests when you are not a scientist?
KA: I love long hikes and try to plan one for every weekend with family and friends. We bring food and gear for whatever the weather, and I like to be out for at least 4 hours with NO cell phone. Some of my favorite places to hike are Mount Greylock and the Quabbin Reservoir. Last year was particularly busy with work so I went on only 45 hikes, not quite one a week. I’m hoping for 52 in 2024.
IALS: Thank you so much Kathleen!