Keyata Thompson, M.S., M.B.A.
Lab Manager
Research Animal Specialist
kethompson@som.umaryland.edu
Research
Keyata studies the ability of apoptotically-resistant breast tumor cells to circulate in the bloodstream and later come to rest at distant sites to form metastases. She has also been investigating commonly employed chemotherapies and their ability to alter metastasis in our preclinical models. To study real-time cell dispersion and trapping, bioluminescence optical-imaging technology is employed. She used this technology to track genetically altered breast tumor cells that express bioluminescence from the moment of injection, trapping, and outgrowth in live animals through the course of early cancer development. Optical-imaging technology relies on light producing reporter enzymes that react to genetically coded cells enabling them to produce light which can be visually observed. These highly sensitive images allow me to examine cancer metastasis at a far earlier stage than is detectable in human patients with clinical imaging
Accolades
- 2003-2009 American Association for Laboratory Animal Science
- 2008 Hopkins Magazine Feature – Of Mice and Medicine
- 2015-present American Association for Cancer Research
Education
- A.S. in Biotechnology Science
- Baltimore County Community College
- Certification in Bio-Intermolecular Science
- Goucher University
- B.S. in Biology (Pre-Medicine) and Women’s Studies
- Towson University
- M.S. in Molecular Biology
- Towson University
- MBA
- University of Maryland, Baltimore
Hobbies
Baker, animal lover, and anything Halloween related!
Martin Laboratory 