Aimee Flores Speaks on Her Groundbreaking Research

Aimee Flores

Flores is a biochemistry researcher at the University of California, Los Angeles who is making big waves in the research field in the U.S.  As a student, Flores excelled in school locally and eventually relocated to pursue studies, where she is wrapping up a PhD in Cellular and Molecular Biology. She is currently doing research on the metabolism of a form of skin cancer to discover methods of treating it. Flores led a group of researchers from UCLA in groundbreaking research to discover a new way to activate the stem cells in the hair follicle to make hair grow.  Last year, scientific journal Nature Cell Biology published Flores’ research. Since then, she has been actively working on a compound that will help to stimulate hair growth. Flores gave the media an update what she’s been doing in her research projects.

Aimee Flores, PhD Candidate & Biochemistry Researcher, UCLA

“We have officially published it and a patent has been filed, a couple patents have been filed. So, we are currently doing safety and toxicology studies on the compound trying to make sure it is not gonna have side effects or anything. Hopefully, within the next couple months we plan to maybe partner with a pharmaceutical company to further the manufacturing and development, clinical trials and so forth of the drug. In the meantime, I have directed the focus of my research on skin cancer and cancer biology. So, I am about to publish where we were describing ways to inhibit the progression of skin cancer and so right now that paper is in peer review. So, that is sort of what I have been up to for the last few weeks.”

Reporter

“Is there any commercial interest – I know that it is highly competitive once you have something in the research stage a lot of companies start to look at it to buy it up – is there that sort of commercial interest or how are you going to manage that?”

Aimee Flores

“We have been approached by many companies interested in the compound. We haven’t decided to license it as yet. We have the option, through UCLA, to form our own company and kinda push the development on our own. If let’s say, we decide that it is too much work and we are not willing to do it, then at that point we would encourage licensing to companies from outside. So, we have been fielding interest but we haven’t taken any offers as yet.”