Alumna works on cutting edge of cancer research
Published on March 22, 2022
London McGill
NORTH EAST, Md. – In the ongoing mission to accelerate cures and treatments for cancer, scientists like London McGill are on the cutting edge of research conducted at ChristianaCare’s Gene Editing Institute. ChristianaCare’s Gene Editing Institute is a worldwide leader in CRISPR gene-editing technology, and London McGill leads the genome technologies portion of the institute, where they develop cell lines that can be used as cancer research models, pharmaceutical assays, and other research and pharmaceutical tools.
“I am working on optimizing the CRISPR/Cas system and discovering new ways to use the technology and ways to improve the CRISPR/Cas toolbox as a whole,” said McGill.
For McGill, working for the Gene Editing Institute is the career she has dreamed of since she was a teenager at North East High School. Her interest in biology stemmed from a desire to become a surgeon, but as those interests changed with the loss of her father to cancer, she committed her life to help combat cancer.
“My goals now are to continue to learn as much as I can to contribute to finding treatments for certain cancers and move into leadership roles where I can help other young scientists grow and learn. Eventually, I would also love to teach biology and biotechnology at the college level part-time, outside of my full-time work,” said McGill, who credits Cecil College for laying the foundation that enabled her to follow her dream.
“Cecil College enabled me to grow professionally and personally through networking and perfecting my ‘student’ skills. The smaller class sizes allowed me to interact with other students and professors. The high-paced, in-depth curriculum gave me a foundation that helped me succeed later in my educational journey,” said McGill. “The biology program at Cecil College provided a high-paced and high-level background in biology and chemistry, which allowed me to move into my bachelor’s and master’s with a good scientific foundation. The professors at Cecil were very knowledgeable and willing to spend time with each student to ensure that they understood the subject matter. This helps the students to absorb the information.”
Upon graduating from Cecil College, McGill transferred to Temple University. She completed her bachelor’s degree and master’s program in biological research, where she investigated the connection between pancreatitis, Type 2 diabetes, and ductal adenocarcinoma. When she learned of the Gene Editing Institute, which conducts cancer research using new and innovative technologies, she knew where her career path lay.
“What initially attracted me was the institute was based in a local cancer center, where the medical doctors work directly with researchers and patients to evaluate potential therapeutics from a functional viewpoint and not just from a lab viewpoint. It is amazing to sit in a room with the medical professionals that will be treating the patients, and they provide us with insights as to why or why not something may work or how the treatment could be made better. These are invaluable pieces of the puzzle that not all research institutions are privy to,” said McGill.
To learn more about McGill and the work being conducted at ChristianaCare’s Gene Editing Institute, visit www.https://geneeditinginstitute.com. Discover STEM programs at Cecil College by visiting cecil.edu/stem.