In the world of cancer, researchers devote a lot of time to studying the protein receptors HER2 and HER3, which, when paired together can turn into a toxic power couple.
Normally, HER2 and HER3 — which are found on all kinds of human cells — help regulate cell growth and survival, according to Brandon Courteau, a UC San Francisco PhD student in the Tetrad Program and first-place winner of UCSF’s 2026 Grad Slam student research competition. But when they pair up, they can get stuck sending nonstop grow and divide messages to cells — exactly what happens during cancer, particularly breast cancer.
Courteau’s presentation, “Protein Love Island: How Recoupling HER3 Could Reveal New Possibilities for Breast Cancer Therapeutics,” likened the pairing to the singles dating on the TV reality show “Love Island.”
To study how these pairings happen and what turns them toxic, Courteau is studying atypical HER3-HER3 pairings, rapidly freezing them and taking microscopic images to build a 3D model of how they fit together.
“If we can figure out what this looks like, we can figure out what it’s doing, whether that’s helping cancer cells or a way to fight against them,” Courteau said. “Once we have that information, we can use their structure to design new cancer drugs that could either create HER3 pairings or ‘break them up’, leading to potential new opportunities for cancer therapeutics.”
Watch the winning talk: Brandon Corteau was this year’s first place winner. Watch his talk, titled “Protein Love Island: How Recoupling HER3 Could Reveal New Possibilities for Breast Cancer Therapeutics.” Video by Isaac Conway-Stenzel
Vying for the top
As the top prize winner, Courteau received a $4,000 check and will go on to compete in the University of California systemwide Grad Slam on April 22 in Sacramento, with first-place Grad Slam winners from the other nine UC campuses.
He was one of 10 finalists selected from a pool of UCSF PhD student contestants vying for the top Grad Slam prize. Each was challenged to deliver a three-minute presentation in lay-friendly terms for a combined live and remote streaming audience of more than 700. Winners were chosen by a panel of five judges, including two past competition winners.
“At its core, communication is about connection and making ideas accessible and meaningful to the general population,” said Nicquet Blake, PhD, vice provost and dean of the Division of Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Affairs (GEPA). “Thank you to these students for stepping up to the challenge and reminding us that great science deserves and requires great communication.”
As in past years, this year’s Grad Slam, organized by GEPA was a featured event held in celebration of National Graduate Student Appreciation Week.