![](https://cdn.vanderbilt.edu/vu-web/medschool-wpcontent/sites/24/2018/08/25030904/Pilat-Jennifer-Marie-Jen-IGP_photo.jpg)
Jen Pilat
The College of Wooster
Christopher Williams lab
Selenium (Se) is an essential trace element incorporated into selenoproteins (SEP). Evidence suggests that selenoprotein P (SEPP1), the most highly expressed SEP, supports intestinal integrity, particularly in patients with inflammatory bowel disease that develop colitis-associated dysplasia. As remarkably little is known about SEPP1 in sporadic colorectal cancer, I am investigating SEPP1's role in the intestinal epithelium during sporadic colorectal tumorigenesis.