B.S. , Mahatma Gandhi University 1994
M.S. , Annamalai University 1996
Ph.D. , NDRI, Indian Council of Agricultural Research 2000
Postdoctoral Fellow , Biological Sciences, Kent State University 2002-2003
Postdoctoral Fellow , Molecular Cardiology, Cleveland Clinic 2003-2007
Research Areas: Molecular mechanisms regulating vascular permeability, angiogenesis, integrin activation, extracellular matrix remodeling and tumor growth
Opportunities for Collaboration: Assistance with statistical analysis for protocol approvals, research data analysis, and grant applications
1996: Runner-up, Best student, The Society of Biological Chemists, Annamalai Chapter
1996: Junior Research Fellowship, NDRI, Indian Council of Agricultural Research, India
1999: Senior Research Fellowship, Council of Scientific and Industrial research, India
2005: Innovator Award (Cleveland Clinic): Novel approach to control vascular maturation
2005: Irvine H. Page Award, Cleveland Clinic
2006: Junior Investigator Award of Excellence by the Cleveland Clinic
2007: Award of Excellence by the Cleveland Clinic for the second consecutive year
2007: New Investigator Travel Award, American Heart Association (BCVS Council)
2008: Scientist Development Grant-National Award by the American Heart Association
2008: Young Investigator Award at the 12th Biennial Midwest Platelet Conference, Lexington, KY
2009-2016: University of Georgia-Wilson Pharmacy Intramural Grant Award for 7 consecutive years
2011-2015: Co-chair, Prostate Cancer Session, World Congress on Oncology, Greece.
2011: Statins for prostate cancer highlighted in the UK based Lead Discovery website
2012: Chair of planning committee, STaR conference 2012 ‘Cancer therapy-Making it personal’
2011-2014: UGA-CAP Translational Research Initiative Grant Awards for 3 consecutive years
2012 & 2014: International Travel Awards from the UGA Office of Senior VP and Provost
2012-Current: Invited to serve in the grant review panels of Prostate Cancer UK, Singapore National Science Foundation, Medical Research Council-UK, Italian Ministry of Health, European Commission for Research and Innovation
2012: Outstanding Achievement in Research Award at the 15th International Symposium on Molecular Medicine, Crete, Greece
2013: Elected as the Fellow of American Heart Association (FAHA)
2013 and 2014: Summer Research Awards for the most productive College Faculty
2014: American Legion Research Award
2015: Recipient of UGA-AU Inter-University collaborative seed grant award (2015-2016)
2016: Idea Development Award, US Department of Defense-Prostate Cancer Research Program
2016: U.S. PATENT Application No. 62/295,331 filed on February 15, 2016 “IPA‐3‐Loaded liposomes and methods of use thereof” By: Somanath PR (Shenoy) and Cummings BS.
Our long-term goal is to enable the development of new and innovative therapeutics for angiogenesis and fibrosis dependent clinical conditions as well as for cancers of the prostate, bladder and colon. Our efforts are to better understand the molecular mechanisms regulating vascular permeability, angiogenesis, integrin activation, extracellular matrix remodeling and tumor growth. Primary focus of our research is on Protein kinase B (Akt), a serine-threonine kinase, and its signaling partners on mediating these processes.
* Molecular mechanisms regulating angiogenesis and endothelial-barrier function
* Mechanisms leading to myofibroblast formation and pulmonary fibrosis
* Characterization of molecular signaling pathway regulating prostate and bladder cancer progression and tumor angiogenesis
* Identifying the molecular markers for the staging of prostate, bladder and colorectal
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/myncbi/127PeSdkR-k5I/bibliography/47609577/public/?sort=date&direction=descending
- Gao F, Artham S, Sabbineni H, Al-Azayzih A, Peng XD, Hay N, Adams RH, Byzova TV and Somanath P.R. 2016, Endothelial-specific Akt1 loss blunts Angiopietin-1 and VEGF induced endothelial-barrier protection through tight-junction turnover. Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences. Oct;73(20):3917-33.
- Al-Azayzih A, Missaoui WN, Cummings BS and Somanath P.R. 2016, Liposomal delivery of the P21 activated kinase-1 (PAK-1) inhibitor IPA-3 limits prostate tumor growth in vivo. Nanomedicine. 12: 1231-1239.
- Abdalla A, Sabbineni H, Prakash R, Ergul A, Fagan SC and Somanath PR, 2015. et al, Akt inhibitor, triciribine, ameliorates chronic hypoxia-induced vascular pruning and TGFβ-induced pulmonary fibrosis. British Journal of Pharmacology, 172(16):4173-88.
- Goc A, Sabbineni H, Abdalla M, Somanath PR. 2015, P70 S6-kinase mediates the cooperation between Akt1 and Mek1 pathways in fibroblast-mediated extracellular matrix remodeling. Biochemica Biophysica Acta – Molecular Cell Research Apr 2; 1853(7):1626-1635.
- Gao F, Al-Azayzih A and Somanath P.R. 2015, Discrete functions of GSK3α and GSK3β in prostate cancer tumor growth and micrometastasis. Oncotarget, 20;6(8):5947-62.
- Ma, .L, Kerr, B., Naga Prasad S.V., Byzova T.V. and Somanath, P.R. 2014. Differential effects of Akt1 signaling on short- vs. long-term consequences of myocardial infarction and reperfusion injury. Laboratory Investigation, Oct;94(10):1083-91. (Highlighted on cover page of the October issue)
- Goc A, Al-Husein B, Katsanevas, K, Steinbach A, Lou U, Sabbineni H, DeRemer, D and Somanath P.R. 2014. Src-mediated tyrosine phosphorylation of GSK-3β is essential for prostate cancer micrometastasis Oncotarget. 15;5(3):775-87.
- Goc A, Al-Husein B, Abdalla M, Al-Azayzih A and Somanath PR, 2012. P21 activated kinase-1 (Pak1) promotes prostate tumor growth and microinvasion via inhibition of TGFβ expression and enhanced MMP9 secretion. Journal of Biological Chemistry. 288 (5), 3025-3035.
- Abdalla M, Goc A, Segar L and Somanath PR, 2013. Akt1 Mediates alpha-Smooth Muscle Actin Expression and Myofibroblast Differentiation via Myocardin and Serum Response Factor, Journal of Biological Chemistry. Nov 15; 288(46): 33483-93.
- Kerr BA, Ma L, West XZ, Ding L, Malinin NL, Weber ME, Tischenko M, Goc, A, Somanath P.R., Penn MS, Podrez EA and Byzova T.V. 2013. Interference with Akt signaling protects against myocardial infarction by limiting the consequences of oxidative stress. Science Signaling. 6: (287), ra67.
- Goc A, Liu, J, Byzova, T.V. and Somanath, P.R. 2012. Akt1 mediates prostate cancer cell microinvasion and chemotaxis to metastatic stimuli via integrin β3affinity modulation, British Journal of Cancer. 107(4):713-23.
- Somanath, P.R., Vijai, J., Byzova, T.V. and Kandel, E.S. 2009. The role of PAK-1 in activation of MAP kinase cascade and oncogenic transformation by Akt. Oncogene, 28: 2365-2369.
- Somanath, P.R., Chen, J., Byzova, T.V. 2008. Akt1 is necessary for the vascular maturation and angiogenesis during cutaneous wound healing. Angiogenesis. Apr 16; 11 (3): 277-288.
- Feng, W., McCabe, N.P., Mahabeleshwar, G.H., Somanath, P.R., Phillips, D.R. and Byzova, T.V. 2008. Angiogenic response is dictated by beta3 integrin on bone marrow-derived cells. Journal of Cell Biology. 183(6): 1145-1157.
- Chen, J. & Somanath, P.R (Co-first authors), Chen, WS, Hay, N, Byzova, T.V. 2005. Akt1 regulates pathological angiogenesis, vascular maturation and permeability in vivo. Nature Medicine Nov.11 (11): 1188-1196.