Named Grant:

ICRF-Ziontz Foundation Research Career Development Award

About the Investigator:

Born in Ukraine, Dr. Katy Margulis immigrated to Israel with her family in 1990.  She received her BSc from the Hebrew University’s School of Pharmacy and, after completing her military service, returned to Hebrew University for her PhD in Chemistry.  After completing her postdoctoral studies at Stanford University, California, USA, she accepted her current position as a Senior Lecturer in the School of Pharmacy, the Institute for Drug Research, at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

About the Research:

Two extremely dangerous skin cancers – melanoma and squamous cell carcinoma – can be successfully removed, if detected at an early stage, but can quickly develop into life-threatening disease, if left unchecked.  Oftentimes, these cancers resemble other benign skin structures, making it difficult for a doctor to diagnose them correctly.  Furthermore, because the majority of these lesions occur on the face, even if these cancers are detected early, conventional surgery can leave unsightly scars.

Dr. Margulis will use a novel, non-destructive, mass-spectrometry-based imaging technique, called desorption electrospray ionization mass spectrometry imaging (DESI-MSI) to detect the presence of molecular patterns that are unique to these types of cancers and that can differentiate them from normal skin.  Moreover, this technique should fundamentally be able to guide surgeons while they remove the cancers, so that they can spare as much of the healthy skin as possible and prevent post-operative morbidity.  Her ultimate goal is to develop a portable device that can help skin doctors to easily diagnose these cancers during patient visits.