Medical student studies genetic risks of chemotherapy drugs

A Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine (VTCSOM) student is working to make chemotherapy safer for cancer patients, research supported by a fellowship from the Alpha Omega Alpha National Medical Honor Society.

Dulguun Myagmarsuren, a third-year student, received the Alpha Omega Alpha Carolyn L. Kuckein Student Research Fellowship for her work examining why some patients experience severe reactions to a chemotherapy drug widely used to treat several cancers.

“My project looks at why some patients have severe reactions to a commonly used chemotherapy drug called 5-fluorouracil, or 5-FU,” she said. “While it works well for many cancers, some patients can’t metabolize it properly because of genetic differences, which can lead to serious or even life-threatening side effects.”

Genetic testing to identify patients at risk for severe toxicity is not required nationwide. Even when providers test, screening typically covers only a small number of variants, allowing some at-risk patients to go unidentified before treatment begins.

“I’m working on developing a low-cost saliva-based genetic test, combined with computational tools, to better identify both common and rare variants,” Myagmarsuren said. “The goal is to help doctors personalize treatment, so patients get the benefits of chemotherapy without unnecessary harm.”

The fellowship provides $5,000 of funding for laboratory work and up to $1,000 for travel to present her findings, while reinforcing the responsibility that comes with national recognition. Myagmarsuren works in the lab of Carla Finkielstein, a professor at Virginia Tech’s Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC.

“It feels really validating to have work I care deeply about recognized at a national level, especially as a medical student,” she said. “Research can feel slow and uncertain, so having that support was encouraging and motivating. Professionally, the fellowship gave me the space and confidence to treat this as real translational research, not just a school requirement. It pushed me to think more seriously about impact and how this work could change how patients are treated.”

Myagmarsuren said her interest in oncology and patient-centered research drew her to the project.

“I’ve always been interested in research that directly affects patient care,” she said. “What really drew me to this project was how preventable some of these toxic reactions are and how much suffering could be avoided with better screening. Long-term, I want to work in oncology and be involved in research that helps personalize treatment. This project showed me how genetics, data analysis, and clinical medicine can come together to make care safer, which is exactly the kind of work I want to keep doing.”

Ultimately, she hopes the research will reduce preventable toxicity and make chemotherapy safer.

“Ideally, this work helps make chemotherapy safer,” Myagmarsuren said. “Even small improvements in identifying patients at risk for toxicity could prevent hospitalizations or treatment interruptions. Longer-term, I see this as a starting point for future studies that integrate genetics and clinical data to improve cancer care more broadly.”

For other VTCSOM students considering national research fellowships, she encourages having a strong personal connection to the work.

“I’d say choose a project you actually care about!” Myagmarsuren said. “The setbacks were really challenging at times, but my interest in the research helped me think creatively and try to find solutions. Also find mentors who are invested in your growth, not just the project.”