Sanjay Malhotra, Ph.D.
Professor
Cell, Developmental & Cancer Biology
Director, Center for Experimental Therapeutics
Knight Cancer Institute
Email Dr. Malhotra

Arpit Dheeraj, Ph.D.
Senior Research Associate

Education: Ph.D., Cancer Biology, Jawaharlal Nehru University, India.

Scientific Interests: Arpit Dheeraj completed his Ph.D. in Cancer Biology in 2019 from Jawaharlal Nehru University, India under the guidance of Prof. Rana P. Singh. The primary focus of his dissertation work was to understand the role of IGFBP-3 (Insulin-like Growth Factor Binding Protein-3), an essential component of the IGF system, on prostate cancer progression. Objectives of the study were to identify the effects of IGFBP-3 on tumor angiogenesis and metastasis under normoxia and hypoxic conditions. His studies showed that IGFBP-3 inhibited the overall growth of prostate cancer cells, IGFBP-3 overexpression inhibited angiogenesis, and reduced endothelial cell growth and migration. IGFBP-3 modulated the expression of different mitogenic and pro-survival signaling mediators which resulted in the altered biological function of cancer cells. IGFBP-3 overexpression inhibited migration under normoxic conditions; however, within the hypoxic environment, IGFBP-3 overexpression increased cell migration. Overall, these findings show that IGFBP-3 targets different steps of prostate cancer growth and progression and it could be a potential therapeutic target.

Arpit is studying the mechanism of treatment resistance in Head & Neck, and Triple negative breast cancer using chemical probes developed in Malhotra lab.

Charles A. Dibb, B.A.
Graduate Student

Education: B.A., Biochemistry, Biophysics, Molecular Biology, Whitman College.
Graduate Student of Biomedical Engineering at OHSU.

Scientific interests: Charles Dibb is a graduate student in the Biomedical Engineering program.  After obtaining his B.A. at Whitman College working on a protein cryocrystallography process improvement project, he worked as a data manager for the Bone Marrow Transplant team at OHSU, working on the early human trials for CRISPR engineered autologous stem cell transplants.  He moved on to work as a research assistant at the Tyner Lab of the OHSU KCRB, where he studied targeted chemotherapies for AML, deciphering potential combinations (Palbociclib, Venetoclax, Ruxolitinib, etc.) to increase treatment efficacy and decrease toxicity.  After admission to the Biomedical Engineering program, his focus moved on to the highly conserved cold-shock domain protein YBX1 and its effects in multiple different cancers, as well as how it might be regulated with minimal off target effects to maintain chemosensitivity. 

Benedikt Grau, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Scholar

Education: Ph.D., Chair of organic Chemistry II, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuernberg, Germany.

Scientific interests: Dr. Grau is interested in the development of novel synthetic methodologies and their utilization in the synthesis of natural product inspired small molecule scaffolds. With his colleagues in the biological department, he aims to identify correlations between bioactive molecule motifs and their bioactivity. His research expertise includes organic and medical chemistry, organocatalysis, multi-step synthesis, hybridisation, and drug discovery.

Dr. Grau completed his PhD under the supervision of Professor S. B. Tsogoeva in October of 2021 at Friedrich-Alexander University in Erlangen, Germany. His research mainly focused on the development of novel base or organocatalyzed one-pot procedures and domino-reactions towards novel terphenyl core structures. Triarylbenzenes (TAB), which bore three different functional groups and enabled the development of a multi-step synthesis route towards Hexaarylbenzene (HAB) with 6 different rings. This work identified novel scaffolds and hybrid-molecules exhibiting bioactivity in the treatment of diseases e.g., malaria, cancer, the coronavirus (COVID-19) and the human cytomegalovirus (HCMV).

Carrsyn Haley, B.A.
Graduate Student

Education: B.A., Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Lewis & Clark College 

Scientific interests: Carrsyn is a graduate student in the Biomedical Engineering Program. She has a strong background working with seniors and has developed a passion for age-related diseases and the development and improvement of therapeutic treatments. Attending PC-UWC and Lewis & Clark College, she was involved in numerous projects developing a broad understanding of research techniques. Notable work includes investigating environmental factors associated with red-green color blindness, and, understanding the binding interactions of transcription factors and their complexes. She initially joined CET as a Murdock Scholar where her work focused on investigating the causes of drug resistance in triple-negative breast cancer. Now as a graduate researcher, she continues to investigate drug resistance, specifically in renal cancer, looking at protein interactions and potential therapeutic targets.   

Alexander Honkala
Senior Research Assistant

Education: B.Sc., Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor.

Scientific interests: Alexander Honkala is a scientist and entrepreneur whose interests range from immunology to mathematical oncology with a passion for the complex systems of disease and translation of new drugs to the clinic. He earned his B.Sc. in Cell and Molecular Biology from the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor in 2008 and has gone on to found nonprofits and biotech start-ups. As a founder, director, consultant, and CEO, Alexander has played a wide variety of roles in the development of new projects across a wide range of interests. Alexander innately looks for the edges of any system he works with, trying to find the path from its well-known key principles to its various bleeding edges to imagine what may lie just around the corner. Oriented towards the next step, whatever it may be, Alexander is excited to keep working at the forefront of oncology, immunology, and drug development to tackle complex conditions with a balance of new drugs and incisive development strategy. When he’s not working on one of several projects, he can be found out on the hiking trails soaking in the forest, in the kitchen making a mess, or in the studio making noise.

Sokchea Khou, Ph.D.
Senior Research Associate

Education:  Ph.D., Cancer Immunology, University of Nice Sophia Antipolis, France

Scientific Interest:  My research focus has been to understand the dynamic evolution of tumor ecosystems during cancer progression. My PhD work at the University of Nice Sophia Antipolis, France, documented the phenotypic polarization and infiltration of innate immune cells in cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma, where impairing neutrophils, macrophages, ILC1 and NK Cells impacted adaptive immunity and promoted carcinogenesis. Primary research during my post-doc is shaped around targeting tumor-intrinsic properties to reactivate immune system in cancer therapy. One project involved activation of RIG-I, an RNA sensor, in tumor cells to drive a type I interferon response, and another project targeting cell surface plectin, to treat pancreatic cancer.

At CET, I’m studying a potential new treatment combination for mesothelioma based on candidate drugs that have been found to release macrophage-mediated T cell inhibition. These drugs are identified via high-throughput screening and then tested for synergy with the anti-PD-L1 immune checkpoint inhibitor.

Praveen Kumar, PhD
Postdoctoral Scholar

Education: Ph.D., Organic Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology - Bombay, Maharashtra, India

Scientific interests: Dr. Praveen earned his PhD under the supervision of Professor R. A. Fernandes in March 2022 at Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology - Bombay, India. His research mainly focused on the development of novel methods for the synthesis of heterocycles and important biologically active molecules along with total synthesis of natural products which is titled as " Method Development for 4-Aryldihydrocoumarins and Cinnamaldehydes and Total Synthesis of Pyran Natural Products ". Just after his degree, he Joined Jubilant Biosys Limited at the position “Research Scientist” for a year. There he improved his skills on handling the kilogram scale multistep synthesis. He has hands-on experience in handling milligram as well as multi-gram scale reactions under 'inert' and 'cryogenic' conditions.

His research expertise includes organic and medical chemistry, photocatalysis, asymmetric multi-step synthesis, milligram scale to kilogram scale synthesis, and drug discovery.

Wendy Li, M.S.
Research Assistant 2

Education: M.S., Toxicology, University of Kentucky.

Scientific interests: Wendy is a research assistant, interested in biochemistry and biology in oncology, and the transformations under treatments. After obtaining her Master’s degree of Toxicology from University of Kentucky, Wendy studied the effects of heavy metals as carcinogen in skin, lung and colon cancer. She joined OHSU in 2017 to work with the Bergan lab, on novel compounds for experimental prostate cancer treatments. Wendy joined Malhotra group in 2021. She is working with the team on discovery and development of small molecules for experimental therapeutics.  

Jee Min Lee, MS
Graduate Student

Education: M.S., Bioinformatics, Johns Hopkins University

Scientific interests: Jee Min is a graduate student in the Biomedical Engineering Program. After Obtaining her B.S. (Neuroscience, Biology and Physiology) from University of Toronto in Toronto, Canada, she worked as a research technician at California Pacific Medical Center Research Institute where she supported many research projects for melanoma research and treatment under the guidance of Dr. Mohammed Kashani-Sabet and Dr. Kevin Kim. She expanded her career to cancer clinical research at Stanford University where, as the team lead, she supported many clinical trials investigating novel therapeutics in various phases for many solid tumors and acute myeloid leukemia under the guidance of Dr. Shivaani Kummar and Dr. Gabriel Mannis. Her experience with handling large laboratory and clinical data piqued her interest in pursuing a Master’s Degree in Bioinformatics at Johns Hopkins University during which she studied various computational tools to understand complex biological and clinical data. Having worked at the forefront of clinical research witnessing the power of novel therapeutics in improving patient outcome and now equipped with bioinformatics skillsets, she joined Dr. Malhotra’s lab at the Center for Experimental Therapeutics to study cancer biology and understand how current standard of care treatments can be improved. Jee Min has started her thesis work in understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying the effect of Y-box binding protein 1 (YBX1) on cancer progression, chemotherapy response and resistance. She hopes that her research will contribute to discovering new treatment strategies for cancer that are both effective and safe.

Pritteshkumar Patel, Ph.D.
Graduate Student

Education: Ph.D. Biotechnology, Uka Tarsadia University, India

Scientific interests: Prittesh is a graduate student in the Biomedical Engineering Program. Prior to beginning his PhD, Prittesh completed his first PhD in Biotechnology from Uka Tarsadia University, India, where he conducted research on understanding the physiological and molecular diversity of sugarcane red rot pathogenic fungus Colletotrichum falcatum. He has published in peer-reviewed journals, presented at international conferences, and he is now advancing his research in Cancer Biology by joining Dr. Malhotra’s lab at the Center for Experimental Therapeutics. With a background in molecular biology and proteomics, Prittesh is deeply committed to understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying cancer progression and developing novel therapeutic strategies.

Annah Rolig, Ph.D.
Scientific Writer

Education: PhD., Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz; BSc., Biology and Biochemistry, Colorado State University

Scientific interests: Dr. Rolig is interested in translational biology and moving drugs from bench to bedside, she joined CET in 2024 to pursue these interests. Her PhD focused on the pathogenesis of the gastric cancer-causing pathogen, Helicobacter pylori. She continued her interest in microbial-immune interactions in a post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Oregon, identifying a novel bacterial secreted protein that controls intestinal inflammation. From there, she transitioned her career to focus on cancer biology as a Senior Scientist at the Earle A. Chiles Research Institute, where she applied her training in immunology to study mechanisms of response and resistance to immunotherapy.

Kirsten Stefan, Ph.D.
Research Associate

Scientific Interests: Dr. Stefan is interested in drug discovery for sarcomas in a bench to bedside approach to help bring novel therapies to patients. Her Ph.D. work was focused on the effects of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids on T cell function as it relates to inflammation and autoimmunity. Her post-doctoral training in the Department of Immunology at Baylor College of Medicine explored detailed mechanisms of autoimmunity, with particular focus on T cell and B cell involvement. Most recently, Dr. Stefan served as research scientist at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center discovering means of immunotherapy for osteosarcoma including investigation of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapies. Prior to her focus in osteosarcoma, she worked at M.D. Anderson to help bring CD19-CAR T cells into clinical trial.

Julia Stokes, B.S.
Graduate student

Education: B.S., Cellular, Molecular, & Developmental Biology, University of Washington Seattle. Graduate Student in Program for Biomedical Science at OHSU

Scientific interests: Julia Stokes is a graduate student in the Program for Biomedical Science. After obtaining her B.S. (Cellular, Molecular, Developmental Biology) at University of Washington, she worked at Seattle Children’s Research Institute under the guidance of Dr. Simon Johnson, studying underlying mechanisms of Leigh’s Syndrome progression through mTOR signaling pathways using FDA approved pharmacological treatments (Rapamycin, Pexidartinib, etc..). Due to her research experience, she developed a strong interest in translational medicine and developing small molecule targeted therapies for various complex genetic dysfunctions. Since joining Malhotra’s Lab, Julia has started her thesis work studying small molecules that could potentially target Melanocortin-4 Receptor (MC4R) for therapeutic purposes. After graduate school, her goal is to pursue her postdoc and eventually open her own lab with a focus in translational medicine for genetic diseases caused by immune or mitochondrial disorders.

Nicholas Struntz, Ph.D.
Research Assistant Professor

Education: Ph.D., Medicinal Chemistry, University of Minnesota; B.S., Chemistry, Biochemistry, & Molecular Biology, University of Minnesota-Duluth

Scientific interests: Nicholas received his B.S. in Chemistry, Biochemistry, & Molecular Biology from the University of Minnesota-Duluth in 2009. There he worked under Viktor Nemykin synthesizing novel porphyrins and phthalocyanines for use in molecular electronics, redox-switchable fluorescence imaging, and bio-imaging. In 2016, he received his Ph.D. in Medicinal Chemistry at the University of Minnesota where he worked with Daniel Harki to develop several novel DNA-based and small molecule-based probes to investigate the biochemistry of transcription factors and their signaling pathways. Upon graduation, he started post-doctoral research with Angela Koehler at Massachusetts Institute of Technology focusing on identifying small molecule binders to ‘undruggable’ targets or complexes in a mechanistically unbiased manner utilizing the small molecule microarray (SMM) platform. Then in 2020, he started as an Investigator at GlaxoSmithKline, where he had the opportunity to progress projects spanning many indications in early clinical development, culminating with the build of an antibody-drug conjugate platform and expanding the toolbox of the Cytotoxicity Targeting Chimeras (CyTaCs) technology.

Nicholas started as a Research Assistant Professor in the Center for Experimental Therapeutics at Oregon Health & Science University in 2024. His expertise in establishing the SMM platform to target ‘undruggable’ proteins provides a unique opportunity to survey tractability of historically challenging targets within the tumor-immune microenvironment (TIME) with the ambition to improve the breadth of immune checkpoint blockade inhibitors. Ongoing research includes the identification and evaluation of small molecule modulators of Foxp3 in regulatory T-cells to enhance the anti-tumoral state of the TIME.

Dhanir Tailor, Ph.D.
Assistant Staff Scientist

Education: Ph.D., Cancer Biology, Central University of Gujarat, India.

Scientific interests: Dhanir Tailor earned his Ph.D. in Cancer Biology from Central University of Gujarat, India in 2016. A primary focus of his thesis work was directed towards understanding the effect of physiological concentrations of butyric acid on human colorectal cancer (CRC) cell death and mitochondrial dynamics. Short-chain fatty acids including butyric acid, propionic acid, and acetic acid are present in millimolar concentrations in gastrointestinal tract, which are mainly synthesized by our gut microbiome. These short-chain fatty acid molecules have been shown to affect biological events such as cell cycle progression, differentiation and programmed cell death. Initially, he screened various short chain fatty acid (SCFA) for their cancer preventive efficacies, among which, he found Butyric acid (BA) to be a potential candidate with chemo-preventive role. His studies showed that BA decreased the overall population/mass of active mitochondria in CRC cells, which could be an indicator of mitochondrial fusion. BA mediated effect is brought about by its reduction of Dynamin related protein 1 (DRP1) protein, which is a key regulator of mitochondrial fission and fusion processes. These findings suggest that DRP1 could be a potential molecular target to induce mitochondrial fusion and inhibition of mitochondrial fission mediated by BA treatment in CRC cells. Furthermore, overexpression of DRP1 in CRC cells enhanced the rate of cell proliferation and migration. This study is the first molecular and cell culture based evidence which sheds light on the ‘Role of DRP1 in CRC cancer growth, survival and progression’.

After three years of research at Stanford University, Dhanir joined the Department of Cell, Developmental & Cancer Biology at Oregon Health & Science University in August 2020 as Postdoctoral Research Fellow and is currently working to develop radio-sensitizers, and small molecule probes to study treatment resistance.