Kathleen F. Arcaro

she, her, hers

Professor

 

Faculty
Kathleen Arcaro portrait
Contact
Email
Email
Phone
Breast milk research web page
Location
N529 LSL

University of Massachusetts
240 Thatcher Road
LSL 1 Room N529
Amherst, MA 01003-9298

Education

Ph.D. Rutgers University, 1987

Postdoctoral Training: University at Albany, Wadsworth Laboratories, New York State Department of Health

Awards: CNRE Achievement Award for Outstanding Teaching

Classes: ANIMLSCI 386 - Veterinary Oncology Laboratory

Research Interests

Breast Cancer

Assessing Individual Breast Cancer Risk

The vast majority of breast cancers are sporadic, yet current risk assessment tools do not identify individual risk. A major goal of the research in the Arcaro lab is to develop tools for assessing individual breast cancer risk. To this end, we study breastmilk.  Human milk contains multiple cell types, including epithelial cells from the lining of the ducts and lobules. Because cancer-related DNA methylation may occur decades before disease diagnosis, we are interested in determining the extent to which DNA methylation patterns in the sloughed epithelial cells can inform future breast cancer risk.  Accurately assessing individual risk would provide women the opportunity to make informed decisions regarding preventative treatments.

Lab Personnel