Newswise — La Jolla, Calif., April 5, 2017 — Anindya Bagchi, Ph.D., is joining the faculty of Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute (SBP) as associate professor in the Tumor Initiation and Maintenance Program. Bagchi comes to SBP from the University of Minnesota, where he was associate professor of Genetics, Cell Biology & Development and co-director of the Mouse Genetics Laboratory. 

“We are pleased to welcome Dr. Bagchi and his genomic expertise to our Institute,” said Kristiina Vuori, M.D., Ph.D., president of SBP. “His experience in developing new disease models and groundbreaking research on cancer-causing genes complements many of our current research programs.”

Bagchi, whose lab focuses on the mechanisms of cancer, says, “A significant focus of my research is studying the role of non-coding and repetitive regions of our genome, often called ‘the dark matter of the genome’. This area has been unexplored in cancer, but is now providing new avenues that may lead to improved therapies for aggressive cancers.”

For the past few years Bagchi has been studying a particular mutation associated with cancers that have poor outcomes. He has shown how the mutation, an increase in the number of copies of two genes called MYC and PVT1, drives certain breast, prostate and colorectal cancers, and is expanding the research to other aggressive cancers.

“SBP is a very attractive place for someone like me who is serious about exploring new scientific ideas,” Bagchi says. “I am very excited to be here and looking forward to working with such an esteemed group of scientists.” 

Bagchi completed his Ph.D. at Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi, India and then worked as a postdoctoral fellow at the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in New York. He has been an American Cancer Society Research Scholar since 2014 and Masonic Scholar since 2010.

 

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About SBP

Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute (SBP) is an independent nonprofit medical research organization that conducts world-class, collaborative, biological research and translates its discoveries for the benefit of patients. SBP focuses its research on cancer, immunity, neurodegeneration, metabolic disorders and rare children’s diseases. The Institute invests in talent, technology and partnerships to accelerate the translation of laboratory discoveries that will have the greatest impact on patients. Recognized for its world-class NCI-designated Cancer Center and the Conrad Prebys Center for Chemical Genomics, SBP employs about 1,100 scientists and staff in San Diego (La Jolla), Calif., and Orlando (Lake Nona), Fla. For more information, visit us at SBPdiscovery.org or on Facebook at facebook.com/SBPdiscovery and on Twitter @SBPdiscovery.

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