Brianna Fernandez /biochemistry/ en Quiescent or Senescent? Cancer Center 91ÃÛÌÒ¸ó Helps Identify Cancer That is More Likely to Recur /biochemistry/2026/02/16/quiescent-or-senescent-cancer-center-research-helps-identify-cancer-more-likely-recur <span>Quiescent or Senescent? Cancer Center 91ÃÛÌÒ¸ó Helps Identify Cancer That is More Likely to Recur</span> <span><span>Jessica Helzer</span></span> <span><time datetime="2026-02-16T06:27:53-07:00" title="Monday, February 16, 2026 - 06:27">Mon, 02/16/2026 - 06:27</time> </span> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle focal_image_wide"> <img loading="lazy" src="/biochemistry/sites/default/files/styles/focal_image_wide/public/2026-02/Spencer-Fernandez.jpg?h=be2253ff&amp;itok=4mQjRGR5" width="1200" height="800" alt="Spencer_Fernandez"> </div> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-categories" itemprop="about"> <span class="visually-hidden">Categories:</span> <div class="ucb-article-category-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-folder-open"></i> </div> <a href="/biochemistry/taxonomy/term/375"> Faculty Highlights </a> <a href="/biochemistry/taxonomy/term/386"> Graduate Student Highlights </a> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-tags" itemprop="keywords"> <span class="visually-hidden">Tags:</span> <div class="ucb-article-tag-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-tags"></i> </div> <a href="/biochemistry/taxonomy/term/496" hreflang="en">Brianna Fernandez</a> <a href="/biochemistry/taxonomy/term/410" hreflang="en">Sabrina Spencer</a> </div> <div class="ucb-article-content ucb-striped-content"> <div class="container"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--article-content paragraph--view-mode--default 3"> <div class="ucb-article-row-subrow row"> <div class="ucb-article-text col-lg d-flex align-items-center" itemprop="articleBody"> <div><h3>Associate professor Sabrina Spencer, PhD, and PhD candidate Brianna Fernandez led the study published in Nature Communications.</h3><p>In a study that could have implications for more effective cancer therapies and preventing cancer recurrence, 91ÃÛÌÒ¸ó Anschutz Cancer Center member Sabrina Spencer, PhD, working with graduate student Brianna Fernandez, used single-cell RNA sequencing to investigate the cell-cycle state of cells following chemotherapy.</p><p>Specifically, the researchers were looking to characterize cells in one of two arrested states: quiescence, a reversible state of cell-cycle arrest, and senescence, an irreversible state of cell-cycle arrest. Their research was published in January 2026 in the journal Nature Communications.</p><p>The Department of Biochemistry at CU 91ÃÛÌÒ¸ó looks forward to the ongoing Spencer/Fernandez research and what the duo will continue to discover.</p><p><a class="ucb-link-button ucb-link-button-gold ucb-link-button-default ucb-link-button-regular" href="https://news.cuanschutz.edu/cancer-center/quiescent-or-senescent" rel="nofollow"><span class="ucb-link-button-contents">Read Full Article Here</span></a></p></div> </div> <div class="ucb-article-content-media ucb-article-content-media-right col-lg"> <div> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--media paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle large_image_style"> <img loading="lazy" src="/biochemistry/sites/default/files/styles/large_image_style/public/2026-02/Spencer-Fernandez_crop.jpg?itok=UUHKjZ_k" width="1500" height="1504" alt="Spencer_Fernandez 2026"> </div> <span class="media-image-caption"> <p>Associate professor Sabrina Spencer, PhD, and PhD candidate Brianna Fernandez</p> </span> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <h2> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--ucb-related-articles-block paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div>Off</div> </div> </h2> <div>Traditional</div> <div>0</div> <div>On</div> <div>White</div> Mon, 16 Feb 2026 13:27:53 +0000 Jessica Helzer 1598 at /biochemistry