Colgate University Professor of Biology Engda Hagos has once again made headlines not only for groundbreaking cancer research, but also for the collaborative spirit in which it was conducted. A recent publication in Current Issues in Molecular Biology, titled “Krüppel-like Factor 4-Deficient Cells Are Sensitive to Etoposide-Induced DNA Damage,” examines the role of the gene KLF4 in DNA repair and features five Colgate students and alumni as co-authors.
For Hagos, the project was years in the making. “In my lab, we try to understand how genomic instability that happens due to the absence of KLF4, a gene that acts as a tumor suppressor, leads to cancer development,” Hagos said. His interest in KLF4 began with earlier studies, which revealed that cancer cells without the gene exhibited increased invasion and higher levels of DNA-damaging free radicals. These findings led Hagos and his students to explore KLF4’s role in DNA repair pathways, a complex process critical to preventing cancerous mutations.
The team’s findings were striking: cells containing KLF4 were more capable of repairing DNA after being exposed to the chemotherapy drug Etoposide, suggesting the gene regulates repair-related mechanisms. “These findings provide insight into the DNA damage response and may help guide future therapeutic strategies,” Hagos said.
The three-year study included Colgate alumni Elisabeth Pezzuto ’22, Patrick Wertimer ’23, Aidan Conroy ’23, Maxwell Rubinstein ’24, and current senior Hadeel Al Qoronz. Together, they navigated the intricacies of experimental design, data analysis, and scientific writing, often repeating experiments several times to validate their findings.
“Experiments don’t always work, and if they do, we need to repeat them many times before they’re ready for publication,” said Hagos. “But I enjoy the hard work, especially from bright young students who tirelessly pursue their goals.”
Rubinstein, first author on the article, reflected on the experience with deep gratitude. “This research represents my growth as a student,” he said. “Even after graduation, Professor Hagos and I would spend hours on Zoom working on the paper. It was so rewarding to continue that mentorship.” Now working as an Associate Product Manager at Medline Industries, Rubinstein sees the publication as a culmination of his academic journey.
Conroy, who worked on the project during his senior thesis, recalled maintaining cancer cell lines and performing Western blots to analyze DNA repair proteins. “Professor Hagos went above and beyond his duties,” Conroy said. “He pushed us to develop our own questions and hypotheses, cultivating independence while supporting us every step of the way.” Conroy will begin medical school at UMass Chan this summer.
For Pezzuto, now a PhD candidate at the German Cancer Research Center, the collaboration was career-defining. “Before meeting Professor Hagos, I was uncertain about a future in science,” she said. “His mentorship pushed me to aim higher. This publication marks my first, and it feels like the launch of my scientific career.”
The publication is also a capstone for Al Qoronz, who will graduate this May and hopes to attend dental school. Wertimer, who is set to begin a PhD in neuroscience at Stony Brook University and is currently a research assistant at Rockefeller University.
This spring, three of Hagos’s current students — Megan Sullivan ’25, Nicole Rodgers ’25, and Cole Zeh ’25 — presented research at national conferences. They, along with Hagos, are co-authoring a new manuscript expected to be submitted by the end of the year.
This study adds to a growing body of research on KLF4 and its role in maintaining genomic stability, but for Hagos and his team, the lasting impact is in the process itself: years of experiments, setbacks, revisions, and persistence. “Good research demands time and patience,” Hagos said. “But in the end, it is rewarding.”
Since 2015, Hagos has published seven peer-reviewed articles with 35 Colgate student co-authors. “Colgate is a very unique place for me,” he said. “There are not many other liberal arts colleges that do what we do, and I feel very happy and blessed that I found a place and job where every single day I am excited to come to work.”