Kathleen F. Arcaro
Kathleen F. Arcaro
Professor of Environmental Toxicology
Graduate Program Director, Animal Biotechnology & Biomedical Sciences (ABBS)

Pronouns: she, her, hers
Office phone: 413-577-1823
Email: karcaro [at] umass [dot] edu
Office location: N529 LSL
Mailing address:
University of Massachusetts
240 Thatcher Road
LSL 1 Room N529
Amherst, MA 01003-9298
Ph.D.: Rutgers University, 1987
Postdoctoral Training:
University at Albany
Wadsworth Laboratories,
New York State Department of Health
Awards: CNRE Achievement Award for Outstanding Teaching
Breast Cancer
Assessing Individual Breast Cancer Risk
The vast majority of breast cancers are sporadic, yet current risk assessment tools do not identify individual risk. A major goal of the research in the Arcaro lab is to develop tools for assessing individual breast cancer risk. To this end, we study breastmilk. Human milk contains multiple cell types, including epithelial cells from the lining of the ducts and lobules. Because cancer-related DNA methylation may occur decades before disease diagnosis, we are interested in determining the extent to which DNA methylation patterns in the sloughed epithelial cells can inform future breast cancer risk. Accurately assessing individual risk would provide women the opportunity to make informed decisions regarding preventative treatments.
Name | Phone | Office | |
---|---|---|---|
Narayanaswamy , Vignesh ABBS Ph.D Candidate | vnarayanaswa [at] umass [dot] edu | 413-545-0813 | LSL 540D |
Chelkar , Mayuri RajanGraduate Student - ABBS | mchelkar [at] umass [dot] edu | ||
Browne , Eva Research Associate | ebrowne [at] vasci [dot] umass [dot] edu | 413-545-0813 | LSL N261 |
Taylor , Rachel Undergraduate student | rytaylor [at] umass [dot] edu | LSL N540D | |
Baker , Ryan Undergraduate student research assistant | rlbaker [at] umass [dot] edu | 413-545-0813 | LSL N261 |
McNally , Liana Undergraduate student research assistant | lhmcnally [at] umass [dot] edu | 413- 545-0813 | LSL N261 |
Nodiff , Sam Undergraduate student research assistant | snodiff [at] umass [dot] edu | 413-545-0813 | LSL N261 |