Medical College of Georgia
Department of Medicine: Hematology and Oncology
Medical College of Georgia
Department of Georgia Cancer Center
The Graduate School
Medical College of Georgia
Department of Urology
Medical College of Georgia
Department of Surgery
Medical College of Georgia
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Administration
Department of The Graduate School
Ph.D. 1984 from Indian Institue of Science, India, Post-Doc: Washington University St.Louis. University of Miami Faculty (1989-2015). Cancer biologist and translational medicine.
Diet and cancer prevention, Fundamentals of cancer biology, Inflammation and cancer. Cancer metastasis. Problem Based Learning.
I am a cancer biologist. As an NIH-funded investigator for the last thirty years, my principal area of research has been prostate, bladder, and breast cancers and, specifically, in developing novel therapeutics for prevention and control of cancer progression and metastasis. My research group was the first to identify the imbalance between the endogenous levels of matrix metalloproteinases and their inhibitors in prostate cancer. My investigation helped to develop a new class of antitumor agents, chemically modified non-antimicrobial tetracycline compounds (e.g., CMT-3/COL-3) against several cancers and for ocular rosacea. T. My research finding on the role of pro-inflammatory proteins (COX-2, IL-8, and osteopontin) that are elevated in tumors led me to define several histochemical markers that independently predict biochemical progression of prostate cancer recurrence and metastasis. My work on the role of CXC-Chemokines that have pleiotropic functions in cancer progression and response to therapy have elucidated the potential role of scaffold proteins (e.g., beta-arrestins) in cancer progression and response to treatment. My research focus for the last ten years has been to develop dietary chemopreventive and therapeutic use of plant-derived–anticancer compounds that serve the dual role of dietary enhancement and as cancer preventive agents. These include an Amazonian dietary supplement BIRM and Allspice (Pimenta dioica). I have identified novel antitumor compounds such as Ericifolin and plant-derived glycosaminoglycans from medicinal plants. My expertise in breast cancer includes tumor prevention by dietary compounds and the mechanism of CX-chemokine receptor interaction with tyrosine kinase receptors. I have extensive experience in working with animal models of breast, prostate, and bladder cancers. I have worked with collaborators at Augusta University for the last four years on developing and testing novel anticancer compounds on breast, bladder, and prostate cancer. I am a team player and had many fruitful collaborations both within my academic institute and outside. Currently, I have a 5/8th appointment in the Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center as a Health Research Scientist.
