Drury ’11 to Research Colon Cancer in Australia Under Fulbright Grant

Kerry Drury ’11, of Wyckoff, N.J., has been awarded a Fulbright grant to research the causes of colon cancer in the Epithelial Biochemistry Lab at the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research in Melbourne, Australia. She also hopes to volunteer in the oncology unit at The Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne.

A biology major with a concentration in biochemistry, Drury is also in the health professions advisory program and College Honors Program. Her Fulbright project is an extension of her undergraduate research work at Holy Cross.

“My research is part of the colon cancer initiative of the Ludwig Institute, however, the finding will likely be applicable to a broader range of epithelial cell cancers. By conducting this research, we hope to discover more about the nature of the environment of cancer cells, in order to work toward the development of novel treatments and techniques to combat the disease,” she wrote in her statement of grant purpose to the Fulbright program.

Drury first became interested in this research after working in the lab of Robert Bellin, associate professor of biology, as part of her biochemistry concentration. Her passion for research flourished after working as a summer student fellow at Harford Hospital, and volunteering at UMass Memorial Medical Center in the Pediatric Hematology/Oncology department through Holy Cross’ Academic Internship Program.

“The concentration has allowed me to deepen my education in the biological sciences, and has helped me to realize that I want to continue my participation in research throughout my career, by conducting basic or clinical research as an M.D., or M.D./Ph.D.,” she wrote in her personal statement.

At Holy Cross, Drury was the assistant program director at Abby’s House through Student Program for Urban Development, American Medical Student Association upperclassman representative, peer assistant leader for a General Chemistry course, Operation Smile committee chair, and participant of Cures for Kids.

Each year approximately 1,000 college students are awarded grants through the Fulbright Program, the U.S. government’s flagship program in international educational exchange. Fulbright grants are made to U.S. citizens and nationals of other countries for a variety of educational activities, primarily university lecturing, advanced research, graduate study and teaching in elementary and secondary schools. Since the program’s inception in 1946, more than 250,000 participants — chosen for their leadership potential — have had the opportunity to observe each other’s political, economic and cultural institutions.

Read about this year’s other Holy Cross Fulbright Grant recipients: Francesca Bruzzese ’11, Jennifer Caffrey ’11, Kristen Dunlap ’08, Herma Gjinko ’11, William Grebe ’11, Jamie McCarthy ’11, Thomas McGlynn ’11, Abigail Chorlton Riskind ’11 and Kathryn Simison ’11.