Ximena Bustamante-Marin, PhD

Dr. Bustamante-Marin earned her PhD in Biological Sciences with mention in Physiology from Pontifical Catholic University of Chile. After completing a Research Scholar training at Duke University and a postdoctoral appointment in the Cystic fibrosis Department at UNC, Dr. Bustamante-Marin joined the Gillings School’s Department of Nutrition in July 2019 as a Research Assistant Professor. Her research focuses on comprehending the effects of obesity on the function of the primary cilium in breast cancer cells and the consequences of the enrichment of cilia on the tumor microenvironment, metabolic reprogramming, and metastatic potential. She is also investigating the impact of obesity on the composition of extracellular vesicles derived from mammary tumors, and how the content of extracellular vesicles can modify metabolic pathways. Understanding the effects of obesity on the function of the primary cilium and in the composition of extracellular vesicles could generate opportunities for early detection and clinical interventions during breast cancer development.