Nandakumar Natarajan, PhD
Nandakumar Natarajan is a senior research scientist in the Voit lab, concentrating on the regulation of GATA1 expression, particularly the post-translational mechanisms that govern GATA1 levels in erythropoiesis, and investigating methods to target these factors in Diamond-Blackfan anemia (DBA). He obtained his B.S. and M.S. in Microbiology, as well as his Ph.D. in Cancer Pharmacology and Toxicology from the University of Madras, and M.Phil. in Biotechnology from Bharathidasan University, India. He then focused on the signaling pathways of innovative small molecule inhibitors in animal models of cancer, encompassing experimental liver, lung, and breast cancers. During this period, he has written 45 articles that have garnered over 2,500 citations, with six papers recognized in the top 10% in the area, many of which have appeared in high-impact journals, in addition to authoring several monographs. His prior research centered on mechanistic and translational investigations of innovative experimental therapeutics for cancer and inflammatory diseases within Contract Research Organizations (CROs). His recent work concentrated on the translational dimension of PAI-1 neutralizing monoclonal antibodies in the management of empyema through fibrinolytic therapy, as well as elucidating the intricate molecular mechanisms involved in treating pathogen-mediated lung pleural injury in rabbit models utilizing monoclonal antibodies. Moreover, he is a member of the editorial boards of various journals focused on cancer and inflammation. He received the PBC Outstanding Postdoctoral Fellowship from the Israeli government to pursue his postdoctoral training at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel, concentrating on NF-kB inhibitors for Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Subsequently, at Clemson University, he investigated vascular calcification, and at the University of California, San Francisco, he examined the immune and inflammatory mechanisms of allograft injury in organ transplantation. He served as Assistant Professor of Research at the University of Texas at Tyler before joining Dr. Voit’s laboratory at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.
