Programs

  • Royce Fellowship
Cynthia
Eleanya

Concentration 

Human Biology

Award Year 

2010
The Influence of Biglycan/decorin Expression on Matrix Metalloprotease (MMP) Activity and Its Implications for Preterm Birth

Faculty Sponsor: Beatrice Lechner

Cynthia characterized MMP expression in mice lacking biglycan and decorin. Pregnant mice lacking the proteoglycans biglycan and decorin deliver prematurely. MMPs, which cleave proteoglycans, have been implicated in premature rupture of fetal membranes leading to preterm birth. Cynthia hoped that this project would lead to the identification of the biglycan/ decorin-MMP pathway as a novel molecular target in the development of prophylactic drug therapies for preterm delivery.

Cynthia Eleanya was a PLME student at Brown. She received her undergraduate degree in Human Biology in 2011 and deferred her enrollment in Brown’s Medical School by one year. She spent that year working on a clinical research project, focusing on the psychosocial aspects of HIV infection at Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, in Accra, Ghana. In 2016, she completed her M.D. at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University.