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Remya Raja

Mayo Clinic, Institute of Bioinformatics, National Centre for Cell Science

ORCID iD 0000-0002-7576-6778
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About

My academic training in basic biology coupled with extensive technical training in mass spectrometry-based proteomics, next generation sequencing and molecular biology provides me with an excellent background to identify novel avenues to manage cancer and contribute to improving human health. My academic and research training over the last ten years have largely focused on understanding cellular pathways involved with tumor progression. During my doctoral research under mentorship of Dr. Gopal Kundu, I was the first author of the study that identified a key regulatory signaling loop between hypoxia inducible factor 1 and extracellular matrix protein, osteopontin (OPN) that contributed to breast tumor angiogenesis. Subsequently, I was one of lead authors of the study that first reported the role of OPN in tumor infiltrating macrophages and its contribution to melanoma growth. Later I joined Institute of Bioinformatics (IOB) for my postdoctoral training where I was trained in quantitative mass spectrometry-based approaches to identify differentially regulated global signaling networks in lung cancer and head and neck squamous cell carcinomas under Dr. Aditi Chatterjee. I was selected for a prestigious postdoctoral fellowship from Department of Biotechnology, India for my initial two years of training and later on was supported by a Young Investigator Award from the Department of Science and Technology, India to continue my research at IOB. During this period, I started working with Dr. Akhilesh Pandey, under him I took the lead on a multi-omics project that employed an integrated exome, RNA sequencing, and proteomics approach to derive molecular signatures in cancer. As a part of the study, I employed CRISPR-Cas9 system to generate isogenic cell line models to study kinase targets of PTPN7 and PTPN18 phosphatases in the context of cancer. During my postdoctoral tenure at IOB, I successfully employed mass spectrometry, next generation sequencing and in vivo mouse models to identify actionable targets, particularly in HNSCC and lung cancer. My continued interests in 'omics' technologies and immunology led me to choose Dr. Marion Curtis as my mentor for the next stage in scientific training. Dr. Curtis is an early-stage investigator who has successfully conducted innovative studies that led to identification of tumor antigen CT45 in ovarian cancer. My research work at Mayo Clinic focuses on strategies to improve immune response in ovarian cancer. Towards this, I am employing a two-pronged approach wherein firstly, I will build on my previous training in cancer biology and cell signaling to identify targetable pathways that augment anti-tumor immune response against ovarian cancer. By leveraging my background in proteomics and next generation sequencing, I am working on neo-peptide antigen discovery towards the long-term goal of developing effective vaccines against ovarian cancer.

Employment

  • Mayo Clinic Postdoctoral fellow
    2019 - 2023
  • Institute of Bioinformatics Research Scientist
    2013 - 2018

Education

  • National Centre for Cell Science Ph.D.
    2006 - 2013

Projects & Funding

Projects & funding information is unavailable.

Publications (35)