This profile is part of a series to highlight the researchers who will be honored at a ceremony for UNMC’s 2017 Scientist Laureate, Distinguished Scientist and New Investigator Award recipients.
- Name: Moorthy Palanimuthu Ponnusamy, Ph.D.
- Title: Assistant professor, UNMC Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
- Joined UNMC: 2006
- Hometown: Poolambadi, Perambalur (Dt), Tamil Nadu, India
The New Investigator Award
New Investigator Awards go to outstanding UNMC scientists who in the past two years have secured their first funding from the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Defense or other national sources.
New Investigators also had to demonstrate scholarly activity such as publishing their research and/or presenting their findings at national conventions.
Research focus:
Cancer stem cells
The goal of my research is: To characterize the cancer stem cell populations in pancreatic and ovarian cancers. Over the past several years, it has been evident that a small population (less than 5 percent) of cancer cells, referred to as cancer stem cells, are responsible for the disease aggressiveness, resistance to therapy and metastasis. We recently identified a novel marker, pancreatic differentiation 2 (PD2), also called polymerase associated factor-1 (Paf1), for the maintenance of cancer stem cells. Our current research is focused on investigating the impact of PD2/Paf1 in the self-renewal, drug-resistance and lineage differentiation of cancer stem cells.
My research will make a difference because: We have identified the novel maintenance marker for the cancer stem cells that would provide critical information for the long-term goal of developing novel targeted therapy for pancreatic and ovarian cancer. Our research also is involved in understanding the mechanism of cancer stem cell-mediated pancreatic cancer progression.
The best advice I’ve ever been given is:
“Have an aim in life, continuously acquire knowledge, work hard, and have perseverance to realize the great life.”
Three things you may not know about me are:
- I enjoy playing Indian music on the keyboard.
- I enjoy reading biographies of great, successful leaders.
- I enjoy watching cricket.
Vaalgaa valamuden
Congratulations Moorthy!
Congrats Moorthy !
Congratulations Dr. Moorthy.
Congratulations Moorthy
Congratulations Moorthy
Congratulations Moorthy
My Best wishes and congrats 💐
congratulation Dr.MOORTHY
Congratulations moorthy
Many Congratulation Moorthy….A well-deserving recognition.
Congratulations Dr. Moorthy…
Congrats Moorthy
Congratulations Moorthy!
Congratulations
Congratulations Dr. Moorthy !
Congrats Dr. Moorthy. My wishes.
Congrats
Congratulations Sir.
Great to hear. 😊 Proud of you…👏
Congratulations, Moorthy! 👍
Congrats Moorthy !
Great.. Saami..!
God bless yet and yet more..!
(My best wishes and prayers..!)