Associate Professor of Pathology & Interim Division Chair Associate Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Associate Professor of Human and Molecular Genetics Member, VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center

Department: Pathology

Phone: (804) 828-7973

Email: Senthil.Radhakrishnan@vcuhealth.org

Senthil Radhakrishnan, PhD joined Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) as an Assistant Professor of Pathology in July 2014.  In 2021 he was promoted to Associate Professor with tenure.  More recently in December 2022, he was appointed as the Interim Chair of the Division of Cellular & Molecular Pathogenesis.  Currently, he also serves as a Member Scientist of the Massey Cancer Center and as an Affiliate Faculty of the Departments of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology and Human & Molecular Genetics at VCU.

Dr. Radhakrishnan received his undergraduate degree in Biotechnology from Anna University in Chennai, India.  He then went to the University of Illinois at Chicago to complete his Master’s degree in Math & Computer Science and a Ph.D. in Microbiology & Immunology.  He subsequently received his post-doctoral training under the mentorship of Dr. Raymond Deshaies at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, California.

Dr. Radhakrishnan’s research program focuses on understanding the role of protein degradation pathways in cancer and other pathologies.  Apart from exploring the molecular mechanism behind these pathways, Dr. Radhakrishnan’s laboratory is also interested in translating these findings into therapies for various human diseases including cancer.

During his career, Dr. Radhakrishnan has been supported by research grants from the Department of Defense (Breast Cancer Research Program), the Leukemia & Lymphoma society, the Grace Science Foundation, American Cancer Society, and the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Radhakrishnan Lab

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Contact Dr. Radhakrishnan for a full CV

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Dr. Senthil Radhakrishnan Abbreviated CV  

Education

1998            B.Tech, Industrial Biotechnology, Anna University, Chennai, India
2002            M.S., Math & Computer Science, University of Illinois at Chicago
2006            PhD, Microbiology & Immunology, University of Illinois at Chicago
2014            Postdoctoral Research, California Institute of Technology

Selected Awards & Honors

2021            American Cancer Society (ACS) Research Scholar Award
2011            NIH/NCI Pathway to Independence Award (K99/R00)
2011            The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) Special Fellow Award
2007            Department of Defense (DoD) Breast Cancer Research Program (BCRP) Multidisciplinary Postdoctoral Award

Recent Grants and Funding

Active

NIH/NCI

R01CA279255 (MPI: Radhakrishnan, Kleiger, Sergienko)   2023 – 2027

Identification of small molecule inhibitors of the DDI2 protease

NIH/NIGMS

R01GM132396 (PI: Radhakrishnan)                                  2019 – 2025

Nrf1-dependent Proteotoxic Stress Response

American Cancer Society (ACS)

RSG-21-036-01-TBE (PI: Radhakrishnan)                           2021 – 2025

Understanding and Targeting Nrf1 Pathway in Triple-negative Breast Cancer

NIH/NIA

R03AG073884 (PI: Radhakrishnan)                                   2022 – 2025

Analysis of Nrf1 pathway in Alzheimer's Disease

Department of Defense (DoD) Rare Cancers Research Program

W81XWH-22-1-0938 (PI: Radhakrishnan)                         2022 – 2024

Targeting the Sumoylation Pathway in Synovial Sarcoma

NIH/NCI

R01CA251405 (co-I: Radhakrishnan; PI: Atfi)                     2020 – 2025

Targeting Transglutaminase 2 in cancer cachexia

Former Grants

Grace Science Foundation

Pilot Grant (PI: Radhakrishnan)                                        2018 – 2020

Investigating the autophagy pathway in NGLY1 deficient cells

NIH/NCI

R00CA154884 (PI: Radhakrishnan)                                   2014 – 2018

K99/R00 Pathway to Independence Award – Independent Phase Understanding and targeting Nrf1-mediated proteasome recovery pathway in cancer

VCU Massey Cancer Center

ACS-IRG award (PI: Radhakrishnan)                                 2017 – 2018

Targeting SWI/SNF complex to improve efficacy of proteasome inhibitor therapy

Editorial Advisory Boards

PLoS ONE Editorial Board Member (from 2019)

Professional Service

2024 – present    NCI Transition to Independence study section; Chartered member reviewer (4-year appointment until June 2028)

2024 – present    American Cancer Society; Term member reviewer for Tumor Biochemistry & Endocrinology (TBE) study section (3-year appointment until Dec 2026)

2023 – present   Member of VCU School of Medicine Graduate Programs Committee

2023 – present   Alternate Member, Richmond Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) Subcommittee on Research Safety (SRS) & Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC)

2023 – 2024       Member of Search Committee to recruit Chair of Pathology at VCU

2023 – present   Member of Chairs’ Interdepartmental Research Collaboration (CIRC) initiative

2021 – present   Vice Chair of the VCU Institutional Animal Care & Use Committee (IACUC)

2018 – present  Scientist Member of the VCU IACUC

2019 – 2020     Chair of Search Committee to recruit a faculty member for the Dept. of Pathology

2018 – present  Chair for the Dept of Pathology “Grants in Progress” meetings where faculty members present their grant proposals and receive feedback

2016 – 2018   Member of Search Committee to recruit a Chair for Division of Cellular & Molecular Pathogenesis, Dept. of Pathology

2015 – 2017  Member of Search Committee to recruit Pathology Informaticist for Dept. of Pathology

Recent Invited Presentations

2024   Regulation of cellular proteolytic pathways by transcription factor Nrf1: Implications for Tau aggregates in Alzheimer’s Disease.  New Investigators in Alzheimer's Disease Conference, Bethesda, MD

2023   Transcription factor Nrf1 regulates proteotoxic stress-induced autophagy.  Grace Science Foundation meeting (Virtual).

2022   Regulation of cellular proteolytic pathways by transcription factor Nrf1.  Fels Institute for Cancer Research & Molecular Biology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA

2020   Transcriptional Regulation of the Proteasome: Implications for Cancer Therapy.  Cell & Experimental Biology Conference (Virtual)

2018  Targeting the Nrf1-mediated proteasome recovery pathway in cancer. Discovery on Target conference, Boston, MA

2018  Nrf1-dependent protein quality control pathways in NGLY1-deficient cells. Grace Science Foundation conference, Palo Alto, CA

Publications

Complete List of Published Work in MyBibliography: 
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/senthil%20kumar.radhakrishnan.1/bibliography/public/

 

 

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