Dr. Ajay Singh is a tenured Professor of Oncologic Sciences. He also leads a multi-disciplinary research program in Cancer Health Disparities. His laboratory primarily focuses on the molecular mechanisms involved in cancer progression and chemoresistance, and development of novel mechanism-based approaches for cancer therapy and prevention. He received his Ph.D. in Life Science from Devi Ahilya University, India, and postdoctoral training in Cancer Biology at UNMC/Eppley Cancer Institute, Omaha, Neb. He has received numerous honors and awards, both in India and the U.S., for his scientific accomplishments. Research programs in his laboratory have been supported through funding from NIH/NCI, DOD, and Nebraska and Alabama’s health departments. He also serves as a Co-PI on a NSF-MRI project that established TEM core facility at the University to benefit ongoing research programs and training of next-generation biomedical engineers and research professionals. Dr. Singh actively serves on DOD and NIH study sections and has been on the review panel boards of other national and international funding agencies and private foundations that provide support for cancer research.
This lab focuses on the functioning of the tumor cells at the molecular level. Specifically, lab members are interested in understanding how the tumor cells communicate with its surroundings to attain a variety of malignant phenotypes and if targeting of these tumor-stromal cell interactions could be exploited for cancer prevention and therapy. Another focus is to understand the molecular dissimilarities in tumors from patients of different racial backgrounds and investigate their roles in cancer health disparities.
USA Health has a comprehensive biomedical research program that spans a wide range of clinical, basic and translational research. At the Mitchell Cancer Institute, our physicians and scientific investigators are searching for breakthrough discoveries to improve the lives of cancer patients.
In a recently published study, researchers examined the expression of MYB in prostate tumor tissues of various histological grades and clinical stages from Black and white patients, and evaluated if it could be used to predict the risk of cancer recurrence following primary therapy.
The highly competitive grants provide each investigator $100,000 in funding over a two-year period.
“The broader vision and mission of our study is to develop a minimally invasive blood test kit for early diagnostics, monitoring, and guiding therapeutic planning of triple-negative breast cancer patients.”
“To address race-associated prostate cancer disparities, it is important first to understand how tumors from different races differ in their biology and molecular landscape,” said Ajay Singh, Ph.D.
Scientists at the USA Health Mitchell Cancer Institute are examining how pancreatic cancer cells adapt to live under low-oxygen environments, a state known as hypoxia.
The findings by scientists and physicians at the Mitchell Cancer Institute could be useful in developing a non-invasive test for pancreatic cancer diagnosis.
“Our preliminary studies make strong suggestions for a pathobiological involvement of nicotine exposure in prostate cancer aggressiveness and therapy resistance.”
The University of South Alabama Office of Commercialization and Industry Collaboration (OCIC) recently held its 2018 Inventor Recognition Luncheon.
