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UWA first year PhD student Libby Thomas had a busy year in 2009, winning numerous awards and accolades.

Libby is a first year PhD student in the School of Biomedical, Biomolecular and Chemical Sciences undertaking research with Professor Peter Hartmann involving the cells responsible for human lactation.

Libby’s project aims to develop new techniques to monitor and investigate cell differentiation in cell populations that are normally difficult to access, such as those involving lactation.

The ability to undergo repetitive cycles of development and regression in the mature adult is unique to the mammary gland. This ability represents a useful model to investigate complex dynamics that coordinate the massive changes in tissue architecture and function that accompany organogenesis.

Since surgical biopsy during lactation is extremely rare, access to the unique cell populations present only during gestation and lactation is limited.

To circumvent this, the group analysed the cell population that is naturally present in human breast milk.

They discovered a population of cells that can differentiate in culture into structures that resemble the structure and function of the milk-secreting alveoli in a lactating breast.

The approach will provide insights into how these cells respond to various developmental factors and will help identify which of these factors stimulate the cells to produce milk.

Since these cell types are often observed in mammary tumours, this is also important in understanding the pathways that may lead to cancer when they escape normal regulation.

An important discovery was demonstrating the role played by the tissue framework (structural scaffold) that supports the cells in directing the cells to form milk-secreting alveoli structures in cell culture.

The group is now using cutting edge methods (including proteomic profiling techniques) to identify the proteins and other molecules in the tissue framework that direct the differentiation and coordination of these cells into alveoli structures.

Despite her relatively short research career, Libby has been outstanding in terms of her achievements. In 2009 alone, she won the following prizes:

• November – First prize for first-year research student poster prize at the Biomedical, Biomolecular and Chemical Sciences Research Forum
• August – AusBiotech-GSK’s National Student Excellence Award
• July – Early Career Researcher Award for Excellence in Medical Research, Australian Society for Medical Research
• April – 2009 student travel award to attend the 6th International Symposium on Genomics and Human Health held in Paris.