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Education
PhD, Biochemistry, University of Kerala, India
MSc, Biochemistry, University of Kerala, India
Postdoctoral Fellowships
National Food Research Institute, Tsukuba, Japan
University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada
University Appointment
Research Instructor
Professional Organizations
ASPET
Society for Neuroscience
Research/Clinical Interests
My primary research interest is on the epigenetic basis of cancer, I am also interested in examining the epigenetic bases of disorders such as depression and drug addiction. Epigenetic changes involve alterations in chromatin structure and DNA methylation. The molecular mechanisms underlying the epigenetic regulation in cancer and various psychiatric disorders have not been fully understood. Many tumor suppressor genes are silenced through aberrant DNA methylation and alteration in chromatin modification during the disease progression. My research is focused on polycomb complex and its influence on epigenetic regulation of tumor suppressor genes in leukemia, this leads to the identification of novel epigenetic target in leukemia for unique therapeutic interventions and to understand the complex mechanism of this disease.
Epigenetic risk factors for psychiatric disorders are based on the concept that epigenetic events modify the activation or inactivation of several genes involved in the normal function of brain. My research involves the epigenetic genome wide sequencing of specific brain sections to identify the epigenetic markers in depression and addiction.
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Ashakumary Lakshmikuttyamma, PhD, MSc