{"id":9306,"date":"2019-04-01T12:15:29","date_gmt":"2019-04-01T16:15:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/pharm\/?post_type=directory&#038;p=9306"},"modified":"2025-06-12T14:12:42","modified_gmt":"2025-06-12T18:12:42","slug":"kirsten-bryant-phd","status":"publish","type":"directory","link":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/pharm\/directory\/kirsten-bryant-phd\/","title":{"rendered":"Kirsten Bryant, PhD"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Research Interests<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Autophagy<\/li>\n<li>Pancreatic cancer<\/li>\n<li>Cancer Metabolism<\/li>\n<li>RAS Oncogenes<\/li>\n<li>Molecular Therapeutics<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Research Synopsis<\/h2>\n<p>The overall goal of our lab is to perform research that contributes to a better understanding of pancreatic cancer biology and leads to improved treatments for this disease. One major focus of our studies is the metabolic activity, autophagy, which is a self-degradation process whereby cells can orderly clear defective organelles and recycle macromolecules as a nutrient source. Autophagy is elevated and essential for the tumorigenic growth of KRAS-mutant pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). We recently determined that the treatment of PDAC with inhibitors of the key KRAS effector pathway, the RAF-MEK-ERK mitogenic activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascade, caused further elevation of autophagy, rendering PDAC acutely dependent on this process, and hypersensitive to autophagy inhibition.<\/p>\n<p>Current projects are focused on further advancing autophagy inhibition as an anti-RAS therapeutic approach, as well as delineating other metabolic consequences of RAF-MEK-ERK MAPK inhibition. Projects will involve the use of unbiased chemical and genetic screening technologies, proteomics, confocal microscopy, and patient-tumor derived organoid culture systems. These studies will enhance our understanding of metabolic dysregulation in cancer and aid in the development of novel therapies for RAS-mutant cancers.<\/p>\n<p>Motivated graduate students and post-doctoral fellows interested in joining our group are encouraged to contact me by email (<a href=\"mailto:bryantkl@email.unc.edu\"><strong>bryantkl@email.unc.edu<\/strong><\/a>).<\/p>\n<h2>Publications<\/h2>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/myncbi\/1xGTtqCqRXbQq\/bibliography\/public\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">View complete list of publications in NCBI library<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Research Interests Autophagy Pancreatic cancer Cancer Metabolism RAS Oncogenes Molecular Therapeutics Research Synopsis The overall goal of our lab is to perform research that contributes to a better understanding of pancreatic cancer biology and leads to improved treatments for this disease. One major focus of our studies is the metabolic activity, autophagy, which is a &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/pharm\/directory\/kirsten-bryant-phd\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Kirsten Bryant, PhD\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":11895,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"layout":"","cellInformation":"","apiCallInformation":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"class_list":["post-9306","directory","type-directory","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","odd"],"acf":[],"_upd_display_name":["Kirsten Bryant, PhD"],"_upd_reverse_display_name":["Bryant, Kirsten"],"_upd_last_name":["Kirsten"],"_upd_first_name":["Bryant"],"_upd_sortorder_override":[],"_upd_sortorder":["1"],"_upd_gallery_summary":["<strong>Assistant Professor<\/strong>\r\nResearch: Autophagy, pancreatic cancer, cancer metabolism, RAS oncogenes, molecular therapeutics\r\nOffice: 22-048 LCCC\r\nLab Phone: <a href=\"tel:9199621057\">(919) 962-1057<\/a>\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/pharm\/bryantlab\/\">Lab Website<\/a>\r\n<a class=\"mail-link\" href=\"mailto:bryantkl@email.unc.edu\">Email<\/a>"],"_upd_no_link":[],"_upd_degree1":["PhD"],"_upd_degree2":[],"_upd_email":[[{"email_text":"bryantkl@email.unc.edu"}]],"_upd_phone":[[{"phone_text":"(919) 962-1057"}]],"_upd_address":[[{"address":{"address-1":"450 West Dr.","address-2":"Lineberger Cancer Center","campus-box":"CB# 7295","city":"Chapel Hill","state":"NC","zip":"27599-7295"}}]],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/pharm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/directory\/9306","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/pharm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/directory"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/pharm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/directory"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/pharm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/directory\/9306\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25289,"href":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/pharm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/directory\/9306\/revisions\/25289"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/pharm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11895"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/pharm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9306"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}