Director, UMMSOM Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Program
Graduate faculty member, Cancer Biology and Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology
Co-leader, Tumor Biology Program, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center
Affiliate faculty, Center for Aerosol Science and Technology, College of Engineering
Biography
Dr. Rai received her Bachelor of Science degree with honors from the California Institute of Technology. She did her PhD research at University of California, Berkeley in the field of biophysics with Dr. Stuart Linn and Dr. David Wemmer as her co-advisors. She was a Leukemia and Lymphoma Society postdoctoral fellow in the lab of Robert Weinberg at the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research/MIT. She began her independent career at University of Miami Miller School of Medicine in 2008 and is currently a tenured full professor.
Education & Training
Education
2003: University of California, Berkeley
PhD, Biophysics
1997: California Institute of Technology
BS, Biology
Post Graduate Training
2008: Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research/MIT
Post-Doctoral Fellowship, Tumor Cell Biology
Honors & Awards
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Teaching Interests
Dr. Rai teaches multiple graduate-level classes in various areas of cancer biology, including the p53 tumor suppressor, DNA damage and cancer, cell senescence, cell death and the RAS oncogene. She teaches the class on reactive oxygen species chemistry and biology for Radiation Oncology residents.
Research Interests
Dr. Rai's research program focuses on development of molecular strategies to activate tumor suppressor pathways in cancer cells through modulation of cellular redox status and DNA repair mechanisms. These mechanisms are typically enhanced in aggressive tumors to overcome intrinsic oncogenic stress arising from elevated levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) that mediate pro-malignant signaling. Dr. Rai's studies have identified novel therapeutic targets for RAS-driven lung cancer and hormone-refractory prostate cancer, which have few current treatment options. The Rai lab uses a plethora of interdisciplinary approaches to address mechanistic tumor biology questions in these areas in collaboration with chemists and engineers, as well as bench-to-bedside and bedside-to-bench studies with medical oncology collaborators. Learn more about the Rai lab projects here: Lab website | Sylvester Lab Profile>
Publications
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