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Varadha Balaji Venkadakrishnan, Ph.D.

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Biography
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Anna University, Madras, IndiaBS04/2014Biotechnology
Cleveland State Universtiy / Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OHPhD12/2020Molecular and Cellular Medicine
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MAMolecular and Cellular Oncology

Overview
overview
My research focuses on understanding epigenetic mechanisms that mediate cancer lineage plasticity. Lineage plasticity is a hallmark of cancer that is accompanied by non-mutational epigenetic reprogramming.
Up to 20% of advanced prostate cancer exhibits lineage plasticity with histologic transformation from prostate adenocarcinoma (PRAD) to neuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPC) as a mechanism of treatment resistance. NEPC is associated with poor prognosis, and novel targeted therapies are urgently needed.

EZH2, a histone methyltransferase and emerging therapeutic target, is overexpressed in most treatment-resistant prostate cancers and is implicated as a driver of disease progression. In our recent work (link), we define the differential, lineage-specific action of EZH2 in both PRAD and NEPC subtypes to better understand its role in modulating differentiation, lineage plasticity, and to identify mediators of response and resistance to EZH2 inhibitor therapy.

Research
research activities and funding
The research activities and funding listed below are automatically derived from NIH ExPORTER and other sources, which might result in incorrect or missing items. Faculty can login to make corrections and additions.
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  1. YOUN15 (Varadha Balaji Venkadakrishnan) Nov 10, 2023 - Nov 9, 2026
    Prostate Cancer Foundation Young Investigator Award
    Defining lineage-specific PRC2 action and rational co-targeting of EZH1/2 in prostate cancer
    Role: Principal Investigator
  2. W81XWH-22-1-0197 (Varadha Balaji Venkadakrishnan) Mar 15, 2022 - Mar 15, 2025
    Department of Defense Early Investigator Research Award
    Epigenetic regulators of lineage plasticity in advanced prostate cancer
    Role: Principal Investigator
  3. (Varadha Balaji Venkadakrishnan) Jul 1, 2021 - Jun 30, 2023
    National Cancer Center Postdoctoral Fellowship Award
    Collaboration between EZH2 and DNA methyltransferase to drive lineage reprogramming in advanced prostate cancer
    Role: Principal Investigator
  4. (Varadha Balaji Venkadakrishnan) Jun 1, 2019 - May 30, 2020
    Cleveland State University Graduate Student Research Award
    Critical phosphorylation events that mediate PKN1-SRF signaling in advanced prostate cancer
    Role: Principal Investigator

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© 2024 President and Fellows of Harvard College
Funded by the NIH National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences through its Clinical and Translational Science Awards Program, grant number UL1TR002541.