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Indian-origin researchers bag McKnight Grant to study brain cancer

Dr. Aparna Bhaduri and Dr. Kunal Patel will receive $300,000 over the next three years to advance their study of glioblastoma, an aggressive and difficult-to-treat brain cancer.

Dr. Aparna Bhaduri, assistant professor of medicine and biological chemistry, and Dr. Kunal Patel, assistant professor of neurosurgery. / Image- UCLA Health/ Canva

Indian-origin researchers at UCLA Health's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center have been awarded the 2024 Neurobiology of Brain Disorders Award from the McKnight Endowment Fund for Neuroscience. 

Dr. Aparna Bhaduri, assistant professor of medicine and biological chemistry, and Dr. Kunal Patel, assistant professor of neurosurgery, will receive $300,000 over the next three years to advance their study of glioblastoma, an aggressive and difficult-to-treat brain cancer.

Their research aims to uncover the role of the tumor microenvironment in glioblastoma development and progression. Traditional mouse models and brain tumor samples have provided limited insights, necessitating novel approaches.

The duo plans to create organoid systems from stem cell lines that closely mimic the human brain environment. These organoids will be implanted with tumor samples collected from surgical patients by Patel, while Bhaduri’s lab will use them to investigate the lineage relationships of glioblastoma cell types and their evolution within the tumor. 

By examining different cells within the tumor's core, periphery, and various regions, the researchers hope to gain critical insights into tumor growth dynamics and interactions with the surrounding environment.

“We are incredibly grateful for this grant, which will allow us to delve deeper into the complex interactions between glioblastoma and its surrounding environment,” said Bhaduri. “By understanding these dynamics, we hope to identify new strategies to disrupt tumor growth and improve patient outcomes.”
 

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