Nayana Iyer

Meet Nayana ...

At Ovarian Cancer Action, we’re on a mission to fund cutting-edge research that will change the future for those affected by ovarian cancer. Meet Nayana, a dedicated researcher at the Ovarian Cancer Research Centre, whose groundbreaking work is bringing us one step closer to better treatments.

What project are you working on that is funded by Ovarian Cancer Action?

My work is looking to understand how immune cells, called macrophages, affect ovarian cancer and trying to uncover why some women’s cancer is more aggressive than others. I am also exploring how we can target these cells to improve treatment strategies.

Describe your typical day in the lab.

A lot of my work uses ovarian cancer cells grown in plastic, so I spend a good amount of time in the tissue culture lab feeding them and splitting them to keep the cultures going (think sourdough!) and plating them out for various experiments where I treat them with various drugs. I then extract proteins, RNA and/or DNA from the cells to analyse how different treatments change the behaviour of the cancer cells.

I then check in with the undergraduate/master’s students that I supervise in the lab, check on their progress and help them in the lab with their own experiments. And of course, no day is complete without multiple cups of tea or coffee shared with my labmates!

What is the most exciting part of your job?

There is something incredibly exciting about getting a result from your experiment, even if it’s not the result you hoped for. When I first started my PhD, a group leader I met at conference said to me “when you’re doing novel research, you are the only person in the world that knows about the result of that experiment until you choose to share it with others.” This thought has always stuck with me, and has made me relish the giddy anticipation while you wait for a machine to process your result!

Another incredibly exciting part of my job is supervising students. I’ve always loved teaching, and seeing them grow into independent scientists over the course of a couple of months is always very rewarding.

What is the most challenging part of your job? What keeps you motivated on a hard day?

It’s always difficult when an experiment you’ve poured weeks into fails or concludes yet again that “ovarian cancer is difficult to treat.” I often draw motivation from my colleagues who always lend an ear when I need to vent about an experiment, provide suggestions and invaluable support.

I also draw inspiration from the bigger picture. Working alongside doctors who treat ovarian cancer patients daily, and seeing the names on the Tribute Wall outside our lab, reminds me why our work matters. Every challenge we overcome brings us one step closer to better treatments for those who need them most.

Nayana’s research is only possible because of the generosity of supporters like you. By funding studies like hers, we can uncover new ways to tackle ovarian cancer and improve outcomes for women everywhere. Your support fuels life-saving breakthroughs - join us in making a difference.