Year 10 student presents research findings at World Conference on Public Health 2022

Over the summer, I normally take part in volunteering and get more involved in charities, which often takes place in different hospitals. During one of these visits, I talked to Dr Nalinee Pradubyat, Lecturer at the Faculty of Pharmacy at Rangsit University in Thailand. Dr Pradubyat specialises in cancer research and she introduced me to a research project she was doing concerning colorectal cancer. We kept in contact and later I was offered an opportunity to work with her on the project.

The Curcuma longa plant is already a widely used remedy and is used in medicine to help treat different illnesses. The main aim of my research, however, was to see its effect upon colorectal cancer. Colorectal cancer is a type of cancer which is a leading cause of deaths worldwide. The phytochemical study of this plant has shown its anti-cancer effects. There have been many other studies regarding this, but by being able to carry out this ‘experiment’ with the help of a university professor really allowed me to fully grasp and add onto the current research.

Even though a wide range of chemotherapeutic drugs already exist, cancer cells are able to develop drug resistance, which is why exploring new medication is essential. The project was carried out over a few days with additional research and write ups afterwards. The conclusion of the research led me to believe that additional research into the mechanism of action is necessary, as Curcuma longa presented substantial anti-cancer effects.

I decided to apply to talk about it at the World Conference on Public Health 2022 (WCPH), and I wrote a proposal asking to educate people about my research. The title of the abstract is ‘Antiproliferative effect of Curcuma longa extract on human colorectal cancer’.

I received an acceptance letter inviting me to present my findings (online presentation) at the Conference on Friday 9th December. It was an incredible opportunity which I am very grateful for.

Anya, UC4 (Year 10)

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