James Miller's Research

I am a graduate student in the Biomedical & Biological Sciences (BBS) PhD program at Cornell University. I received my B.S. from the University of Maine in 2016 and worked in academic laboratories for three years before officially joining the Van de Walle lab in Spring 2020.

My research is focused on understanding how microRNAs (miRNAs), small noncoding RNAs that post-transcriptionally regulate gene expression, influence mammary stem cell (MaSC) potential and proliferation across species. It is well documented that certain species (e.g. cows, horses) have a lower incidence of mammary cancer compared to other mammals (e.g. humans, dogs), however, the reason for this lower incidence is unknown. We believe that this difference may be in part due to the varied miRNA expression profiles between species and that by studying how specific miRNAs affect MaSC behavior, our research will provide insights into mammary cancer pathogenesis. In addition, I am also researching how the expression of certain miRNAs function to protect cancer-resistant species from the mutative effects of carcinogenic insults.