Ravi Dashnamoorthy, Ph.D

Roles & Responsibilities -Led target identification initiatives for oncology and inflammatory disease indications. -Designed and executed strategic research plans across discovery, screening, and lead optimization phases. -Developed and validated assays for small molecules, kinase inhibitors, degraders, and biologics. -Managed cross-functional collaborations and coordinated activities with CROs. Communicated research progress and outcomes to stakeholders, supporting candidate nomination for development. -Contributed to patent filings, IND applications, and scientific publications. Key Accomplishments -Successfully advanced multiple drug candidates through early discovery to nomination stage. -Played a pivotal role in the development of novel therapeutic agents, contributing to IP generation and regulatory submissions. -Streamlined assay development workflows, accelerating hit-to-lead timelines. -Fostered productive collaborations across multidisciplinary teams, enhancing R&D efficiency and innovation.

See present position

Concurrent appointment (See under Investigator, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey)

Roles & Responsibilities -Led translational oncology research programs with full oversight of study design, execution, data integrity, and reporting. -Managed lab operations including budgeting, hiring, procurement, and performance evaluations. -Directed interdisciplinary collaborations and academic-industry partnerships for preclinical immunotherapy development (e.g., CD19-CAR-NK, anti-TIM3, anti-LAG3, anti-PD1). -Developed combinatorial regimens and biomarker strategies for hematologic malignancies. -Oversaw technical troubleshooting, instrumentation, and training support. -Presented findings at national/international conferences and contributed to peer-reviewed publications and regulatory documentation. Key Accomplishments -Advanced novel immunotherapeutic agents through preclinical development in collaboration with industry partners (e.g., NantKwest, Tesaro). -Co-authored high-impact publications in Leukemia, British Journal of Haematology, Cancers, and Frontiers in Oncology focused on the identification of Biomarkers for Predicting Personalized Therapies. -Established NIH-sponsored collaborations for antibody therapy evaluation and technology development. -Built and maintained a robust oncology compound library and biomarker portfolio to support drug discovery and translational research.

Concurrent appointment (See under Investigator, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey)

Roles & Responsibilities -Served as Principal Investigator and project administrator for multi-institutional, interdisciplinary oncology research programs. -Designed and executed preclinical and translational studies in collaboration with industry partners (e.g., Takeda, Novartis, Infinity, Affimed, Tesaro) across 25+ oncology pipelines. -Led academic-industry partnerships for clinical and preclinical evaluation of therapeutics including proteasome inhibitors, PI3K inhibitors, bispecific antibodies, and immune checkpoint inhibitors. -Managed large laboratory operations, including staff supervision, budgeting, scheduling, and resource allocation. -Mentored Hem/Onc fellows, graduate students, and research staff; guided thesis defenses and professional development. -Oversaw flow cytometry core operations and provided technical and training support. -Authored research proposals, completion reports, and presented findings at national and international conferences. Key Accomplishments -Identified MYC as a key target of proteasome inhibition in lymphoma, leading to a high-impact publication in Cancer Research (2016). -Advanced multiple investigational agents (e.g., Ixazomib, Buparlisib, IPI-145, AFM13) into human and canine clinical trials through collaborative studies. -Successfully negotiated and completed four industry-sponsored research projects, delivering comprehensive reports and actionable insights. -Designed hallmark-based transcriptomic analyses that informed therapeutic strategies and biomarker development. -Built and led high-performing, cross-functional teams that consistently met project milestones and regulatory timelines.

● Designed and conducted lymphoma preclinical studies and acquired investigational drug candidates from Ziopharm, AstraZeneca, Takeda, and Novartis through establishing collaborative partnerships ● Collaborated with institutional core facilities to generate patient-derived xenograft (PDX) tumor for lymphoma research. ● Completed a multi-institutional clinical/basic translational research, and identified fatty acid metabolism as a novel target for lymphoma therapy. ● Mentored/supervised research staffs, organized start-up laboratory, authored research project proposals, completion reports, set goals, and met deadlines on time.

● Established high-throughput screening facility, designed and developed RNAi-based genomic screen platform, authored and published assay validation procedures and data analytical methods. ● Developed markers for prognostication of metastatic properties ● Authored a book chapter in Methods in Molecular Biology 2012, DNA repair section. ● Contributed to software development Ortholog finder and Pathway Distiller. ● Provided training and supervision for rotational students and staffs. Applied bioinformatic tools such as Gene Set Enrichment Analysis, IPA, R Bioconductor, and advanced statistical methods. Won several awards for two major projects. Our laboratory received grant funding worth over $2,500,000 as a result of my studies. ● Performed tissue culture experiments 20+ cell lines, automation of high-throughput screening, liquid handling, imaging platforms, optimized and generated large scale RNAi library, RT-PCR, in vitro transcription, high-throughput transfections were adapted and developed.

Discovered a novel redox cycling-based anthracycline drug activation by thioredoxin, published in Journal of Biological Chemistry 2004 and Cancer Chemotherapy and Pharmacology 2005. Successfully completed 5 projects related to oncology and lung biology, generated concepts for 2 patent applications, and funded investigations. Performed molecular profiling studies in baboon and human lung disease models, published 5 papers.

Same as in PostDoc at University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.

Developed biomarker assays for prediction of response to therapy in head and neck cancer patients.