Kiran Vanaja
Assistant Research Professor,
Bioengineering
Contact
- k.vanaja@northeastern.edu
- The Roux Institute
100 Fore Street
Portland, ME 04101
Social Media
Research Focus
Systems biology of signaling networks in cancer (and) therapeutics, metastasis and embryonic development
Education
- PhD, Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 2013
Research Overview
Systems biology of signaling networks in cancer (and) therapeutics, metastasis and embryonic development
Systems Biology Lab
At the Roux Institute, Vanaja is establishing a Systems Biology Lab focusing on the modeling of the growth factor receptor signaling pathway. In a collaboration with the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, Vanaja is building detailed models of the signaling networks that are implicated in cancers and the mechanisms like negative feedback loops that contribute towards homeostasis. Vanaja is researching the mechanisms of these feedback loops that contribute towards the emergence of resistance in cancer to therapeutics and means of disrupting the feedback loop to improve efficacy. Exploring partnership opportunities, Vanaja is building a multiscale organismic model of insulin driven glucose absorption in whole body models. By training the model on high throughput ‘omics data, Vanaja plans on predicting the trajectory of hyper insulinemia and glycemia in individuals and by using detailed molecular interactions plans on finding possible nodes of intervention to help up with prediabetes and insulin resistance. Those who are interested in post-doc and graduate student positions are encouraged to reach out.
Department Research Areas
Selected Publications
- “Regulation of PTEN translation by PI3K signaling maintains pathway homeostasis”, Radha Mukherjee+, Kiran G. Vanaja+, Jacob A. Boyer, Sarat Chandarlapaty, Andre Levchenko and Neal Rosen, Molecular Cell, 2021. Volume 81, Issue 4, 18 February 2021, P708-723.E5,
- “A loss of epigenetic control can promote cell death through reversing the balance of pathways in a signaling network”, Kiran Vanaja, Winston Timp, Andrew Feinberg and Andre Levchenko, Molecular Cell, 2018. Volume 72, Issue 1, 4 October 2018, Pages 60-70.
- “Systems Biology of Cancer Metastasis”, Y. Suhail, M. Cain, Kiran Vanaja, P. Kurywchak, R. Kalluri, A. Levchenko, Kshitiz, Cell Systems, Aug 2019 Aug 28;9(2):109-127.
- “Two interferon-independent double-stranded RNA-induced host defense strategies suppress the common cold virus at warm temperature”, E. Foxman, J. Storer, Kiran Vanaja, A. Levchenko, A. Iwasaki, PNAS July 16, 2016, 113 (30) 8496-8501.
Sep 13, 2024
Using Computational Models and Deep Learning for Personalized Cancer Treatment
BioE Assistant Research Professor Kiran Vanaja uses computational models and deep learning to predict cancer cell behavior and develop multistep therapeutic strategies for personalized cancer treatment.