DB

Debanjan Bhattacharjee

Stanford Medicine, Yale University, Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, University of Calcutta, The University of Burdwan

ORCID iD 0000-0002-2385-2359
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About

I am a translational oncology researcher whose work focuses on improving the success of oncology drug development by identifying the true mechanisms of action of clinical-stage cancer therapeutics and developing biomarker-guided treatment strategies. I am currently a Postdoctoral Fellow at Stanford Medicine, where my research integrates pharmacogenomics, functional genomics, and mechanistic drug profiling to understand why many oncology drugs fail in clinical trials and how these failures can be addressed through accurate target identification and biomarker-driven patient stratification.

At Stanford Medicine, my research centers on repurposing clinical-stage oncology compounds by uncovering previously unrecognized mechanisms of action. My work on the Phase I compound PAC-1 demonstrated that the drug functions as a selective intracellular iron chelator rather than the originally proposed caspase-3 activator, enabling selective killing of MDR1-high chemotherapy-resistant cancers. This work identified a predictive biomarker for therapeutic response and is helping inform revised clinical trial strategies incorporating biomarker-guided patient selection.

Previously, at Yale School of Medicine, I led a pharmacogenomic and CRISPR-based investigation of the failed Phase II oncology drug ralimetinib. Our study demonstrated that the drug’s anticancer activity is mediated through inhibition of EGFR rather than its originally proposed target, p38α. These findings provided a mechanistic explanation for the drug’s clinical underperformance and highlighted the importance of comprehensive cellular and genetic profiling in accurately understanding drug mechanisms.

My research aims to bridge chemical biology, functional genomics, and clinical oncology to enable rational drug repurposing and precision medicine strategies. I combine high-throughput screening, CRISPR-based functional genomics, biomarker discovery, and preclinical cancer models to identify therapeutically actionable vulnerabilities in drug-resistant cancers.

I received my PhD in Biological Sciences from the CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (Hyderabad), where my research focused on cancer drug resistance, chemical biology approaches to targeted protein degradation, and the development of high-throughput screening platforms for anticancer drug discovery. My work has resulted in multiple first-author publications, a patent in drug-resistant cancer therapeutics, and recognition through the Stanford Cancer Institute Early Career Grant.

Employment

  • Stanford Medicine Postdoctoral scholar
    2025 - Present
  • Yale University Postdoctoral Research Associate
    2022 - 2025
  • Indian Institute of Chemical Technology Research Technician
    2014 - 2016

Education

  • Indian Institute of Chemical Technology Doctor of Philosophy in Biological Sciences
    2016 - 2022
  • University of Calcutta Masters in Biophysics & Molecular Biology
    2012 - 2014
  • The University of Burdwan Bachelor of Science (Honors)
    2009 - 2012

Projects & Funding

Projects & funding information is unavailable.

Publications (15)