Assistant Professors
Kalpana Ghoshal
BS, Calcutta University, Chemistry, Physics and Mathematics
MS, Calcutta University, Biochemistry
PhD, Calcutta University, Biochemistry
Dr. Ghoshal is a Research Assistant Professor at the The Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry at The Ohio State University and a member of The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Research interest: Role of DNA methylation and microRNAs in liver disease
Sarmila Majumder
PhD, Calcutta University, Biochemistry
Dr. Majumder is a Research Assistant Professor at the The Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry at The Ohio State University and a member of The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Research Interests:
- microRNAs in drug resistance in breast cancer.
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Prosurvival pathways in drug resistant breast cancer.
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Free radical scavengers in hepatocellular carcinoma.
Research Scientists
Tasneem Motiwala
BS, Microbiology/Biochemistry from St. Xaviers’ College, University of Bombay, India.
MS, Biochemistry from Institute of Science, University of Bombay, India.
PhD, Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology Program at The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH.
Dr. Motiwala is a Research Scientist, working with this group since 2001. She works on epigenetic regulation of genes (specifically a Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase Receptor Type O, PTPRO) and understanding the biology and function of PTPRO in cancer. Dr. Motiwala is focused on several different types of cancers including hepatocellular carcinoma, lung cancer, breast cancer and leukemia.
Jharna Datta
BS, Chemistry, University of Calcutta, Calcutta, India
MS, Biochemistry, University of Calcutta, Calcutta, India
PhD, Biochemistry, University of Calcutta, Calcutta, India
As a graduate student Jharna worked in Bose Institute, Calcutta, where she received a Junior/Senior Research Fellowship from Department of Science and Technology, Government of India. She was awarded a post-doctoral fellowship from Department of Biotechnology, Government of India. Prior to joining The Ohio State University she was a Guest Lecturer at Surendra Nath College ( Calcutta University ), Barrackpore, India, where she taught Enzymology and Biochemistry to undergraduate students for one year.
Research Interests:
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Understanding the Molecular mechanisms underlying methylation-mediated gene silencing in hematological malignancies and solid tumors
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Effect of DNA methylation on gene transcription and chromatin structure
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microRNA dysregulation and cancer
Yuanzhi Lu
PhD, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Tsinghua University, Peking Union Medical College & Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China.
Dr. Lu's research mainly focuses on cancer invasion and metastasis, cancer immunology and immunotherapy, deregulation of cell cycle machinery in the development of B-lymphomas and breast cancer. He joined the Jacob Lab as a post-doctoral researcher in 2009. Dr. Yuanzhi is currently conducting research on “Role of microRNAs in tamoxifen resistance in breast cancer.”
Research Associates
Huban Kutay
BS, Biology, Istanbul University / Turkey
MS, Biology, Gebze Institute of Technology/ Turkey
MA and PhD, Science Education, The Ohio State University
Dr. Kutay has been a Research Associate since 2003, working on the role of microRNAs in hepatocarcinogenesis. Her PhD thesis has been published as a book by VDM publishing company at 2008.
Satavisha Roy
BS, Zoology, The Ohio State University
Ms/ Roy developed an interest in cancer research while working on a number of published studies related to breast cancer, hepatocarcinoma and CLL. She plans to attend grad school and continue investigating the various pathways that could be attacked to eradicate cancer forever.
Graduate Students
Bo Wang
MS, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Peking Union Medical College
Bachelor of Medicine from Shandong University
Bo is studying the function of microRNAs in liver cancer
Shu-hao (Howard) Hsu
PhD student in MCDB program
BS, Zoology, National Taiwan University
MS,Anatomy and Cell biology, National Taiwan University
Howard is studying the mechanism of hepatocarcinogenesis from two different angles: miR-122, the most abundant microRNA in liver, and PTPRO, the potential tumor suppressor silenced in HCC.
Sharda Thakral
BS,biology, University of Illinois at Chicago -- summa cum laude
During her graduate studies, Sharda was awarded the following:
- OSU Distinguished University Fellowship;
- MD/PhD Leadership and Academic Achievement Scholarship; College of Medicine
- Outstanding Academic Achievement Scholarship
Her research focus is the role of microRNA 122 in liver regeneration.
Undergraduate Students
Tyler Miller
Undergraduate Senior in Biomedical Science at The Ohio State University
Tyler works closely with Dr. Sarmila Majumder on understanding the role of microRNAs in Tamoxifen-resistant breast cancer. During his fourth year in the lab, he is concentrating on the regulation of specific microRNAs and how their dysregulation can lead to drug resistance.
Tom Kaffenberger
Undergraduate majoring in Biomedical Science at The Ohio State University
Tom is nvestigating the tumorigenic mechanisms involved in Hepatocellular Carcinoma. He plans on pursuing either an MD or an MD/PhD after graduating