FARMINGTON -- When Dr. Olga Anczukow-Camarda came to the Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine two years ago, she was attracted to the excellence of its scientific research and the scientists she would be working alongside.
“Every single person that works with me in the lab is either born in Connecticut or has been trained in Connecticut, either at Yale or UConn, and it’s always good for a lab to have access to all those talented and extremely driven people,” said Dr. Olga Anczukow-Camarda.
Driven people are what make up the Jackson Lab or Jax as it’s known to the 400 employees who work there. They’re all concentrating on genomic research to diagnose and find cures for diseases.
“We’re investigating why women get breast cancer and how can we prevent this,” said Dr. Olga Anczukow-Camarda.
Her lab is concentrating on a method called RNA splicing and how cancer cells use information encoded in your DNA.
“We basically want to take the information in your genes and splice it together for a happy ending for all breast cancer patients,” said Dr. Olga Anczukow-Camarda.
Those patients motivate the researchers at Jax.
“I’m very passionate about the work we’re doing because to me it’s a privilege. It’s a privilege to be able to have the resources and the time to explore new treatments for disease, to understand diseases and every minute is precious because every minute another person has been affected by disease,” said Dr. Charles Lee, who is the Director of Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine.
Dr. Lee says he’s amazed at the progress made in just the last five years, both inside the building in Farmington and with local partnerships.
“Some of our most valued collaborations are right next door at the University of Connecticut Health Science Center, as well as just down in Hartford, the Connecticut Children’s Medical Center,” said Dr. Lee.
Programs that he says help fulfill the Jackson Laboratory’s mission.
“We are focused on using the latest technologies in genetics and genomics to further advance medicine and healthcare,” said Dr. Lee.