Harvard Catalyst Profiles

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Varadha Balaji Venkadakrishnan, Ph.D.

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Biography
education and training
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
awards and honors
2017
Best oral presentation
2019
Graduate Student Award for Excellence
2019 - 2020
Graduate Student Research Award
2019
Outstanding Service Award
2020
First place in 3-minute thesis competition
2020
Second place in Regional 3-minute thesis competition
2020
Trainee Travel Award
2020
Finalist 3-minute thesis competition
2021 - 2024
Postdoctoral Fellowship Award
2022 - 2025
Early Investigator Research Award
2023 - 2026
Young Investigator Award
2023
Mentor Appreciation Award
2024
Best Poster Presentation Award
2024
PATHFINDER Travel Award
2024
Postdoctoral Fellowship Award (declined)

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.
Most Recent  |  List All
  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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Bibliographic
selected publications
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© 2025 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.