Lab Members

Kazutaka Fukumura, Ph.D.
Instructor
KFukumura@MDAnderson.org

I am interested in the elucidation of carcinogenesis mechanisms through genomic analyses.

In the Huse Laboratory, I perform comprehensive genomic analysis of glioma and brain metastasis with the aim of developing novel therapeutic strategies against these refractory cancers.

Sharvari Dharmaiah
Graduate Research Assistant
MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Houston Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
SDharmaiah@MDAnderson.org

I joined the Huse Lab in spring 2019. I received my B.A. in biochemistry and M.S. in medical physiology from Case Western Reserve University. My previous research experiences span from basic science to clinical research with discrete focuses on Alzheimer's disease, locoregional recurrent breast cancer, and medical mycology. In the Huse Lab, I am researching novel approaches to therapeutically intervene in ATRX-deficient high-grade glioma using in vitro and in vivo preclinical models. Specifically, I am working with pharmacological compounds called G4 stabilizers that have recently been shown to induce selective cytotoxicity in ATRX-deficient astrocytes. We aim to test this compound further, both alone and in combination with ionizing radiation.

Prit Benny Malgulwar, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow
PMalgulwar@MDAnderson.org

I am a postdoctoral fellow in the Huse Lab and I incorporate data analysis and molecular tools to establish genetic-epigenetic network in gliomas, with focus on ATRX alterations at bulk and single cell resolution and targeting this network using pharmco-(epi)genomic approach for reversal phenotype. To understand this paradigm, I am utilizing high-throughput chromatin sequencing technologies, including genome-wide chromatin contact maps that captures the three-dimensional (3D) organizational structure of chromatin. Our goal is to characterize the perturb chromatin structures in 3-D space, to understand in-depth stochastic mechanism of gliomas in order to define disease-state and its regulatory mechanism. In addition to this, I am also involved in understanding molecular fingerprint of brain metastasis tumors using various genomic platform, where I am handling high-throughput data analysis.

Benjamin Whitfield
Graduate Research Assistant
MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Houston Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
BTWhitfield@MDAnderson.org

I am an M.D./Ph.D. student with a research interest in the interplay between the tumor microenvironment and tumor immune surveillance. Born in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, I grew up in Raleigh, North Carolina, and received a B.S. in biology from Davidson College. During my undergraduate years, I researched various topics, including mechanisms of ibrutinib resistance, blood brain barrier maintenance and neurogenesis. I eventually found my way to MD Anderson, where I spent a summer studying tumor immunology and chose to return to pursue an M.D./Ph.D.  

My current research revolves around the interplay between common glioma mutations, immune surveillance, and tumor control. Specifically, I am studying the impact of ATRX deficiency on tumor intrinsic innate immune signaling pathways. Long term, I hope to pursue a career in clinical oncology and research, studying the impact of molecular and microenvironmental characteristics on therapeutic response, thereby enabling optimal therapy selection. 

Jayanta Monda
Graduate Research Assistant
MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Houston Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
JMondal@MDAnderson.org

I am a Ph.D. student in Cancer Biology at the MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Houston Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. I am interested in the fields of cancer immunotherapy, elucidating the molecular mechanisms governing metastasis and deciphering the nuances of cancer dormancy and reactivation. I am working on projects in the Huse Lab that focus on the epigenetic/genetic entities that regulate metastasis to the lung and the brain. Before joining the graduate school, I had studied the role of immune cells in therapy failure and tumor metabolism at the Harvard Medical School-MIT Health Sciences and Technology program. I am also an avid debater and have been involved in theatrics. I have served as an executive board member in innumerable Model United Nations conferences and have represented India at various  spelling bees and as a gender equality advocate at the United Nations.

Vasudev Tadimeti
Research Assistant

I am a research assistant in the Huse Lab. I received my B.S. in neuroscience from the University of California, Los Angeles. Motivated to gain a deeper understanding of translational research before I attend medical school, I moved to Houston after completing my undergraduate degree to join the Huse Lab.

My current research in the Huse Lab focuses on examining the germline and somatic landscape of gliomas in African-American and Hispanic minority groups, and non-minority groups. For this investigation, I extract DNA from patient glioma specimens utilizing a method called isotachophoresis (ITP). ITP is a novel technique which separates and focuses charged molecules in solution based on ionic mobility. Subsequently after extracting DNA, I submit patients’ tumor DNA and matched blood DNA for whole-exome sequencing and further biostatistical analyses.

I hope my work in the Huse Lab will expand upon the molecular underpinnings of familial gliomas and lead to highly effective targeted therapies.

Jeff Ackroyd
Research Assistant
JAckroyd@MDAnderson.org

Brandon Chen
Undergraduate
BAChen@MDAnderson.org

I am an undergraduate student at Rice University and have been conducting research in the Huse Lab since June 2021. I am currently completing a degree in cognitive sciences and minors in biochemistry and cell biology and medical humanities. In the Huse Lab, I am working with Sharvari Dharmaiah and researching novel approaches to ATRX-deficient cancers like high-grade gliomas and sarcomas. We aim to further examine the mechanisms of G4 stabilizers which selectively induce cytotoxicity in ATRX-deficient cancers, as well as its effect in combination with ionizing radiation.