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Nupam Mahajan named inaugural Urologic Surgery Research Professor at WSU

Mahajan plans to advance his research to clinical trials the coming years, aiming to develop therapies that suppress tumor growth and enhance the immune response in patients.

Nupam Mahajan, (second from right), has been named the inaugural Urologic Surgery Research Professor at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. / Image – WSU

Indian-American cancer researcher Nupam Mahajan has been appointed as the inaugural Urologic Surgery Research Professor at the Washington University School of Medicine. The new position, established by the Department of Surgery, aims to enhance research efforts to improve clinical outcomes and expand treatment options in urology. 

The installation ceremony of Mahajan was attended by chancellor Andrew D. Martin and David H. Perlmutter, the George and Carol Bauer dean of the School of Medicine, executive vice chancellor for medical affairs, and the Spencer T. and Ann W. Olin Distinguished Professor.

"Dr. Mahajan’s pioneering research is paving the way for innovative treatments geared to the many patients whose prostate tumors eventually develop resistance to hormone therapies,” said chancellor Andrew D. Martin. “There is a dire need to develop new therapies to help these patients, and this endowed professorship will help support critical studies to further this important translational research.”

"Dr. Mahajan’s work on prostate cancer exemplifies how understanding the mechanisms underlying this cancer can be used to establish new therapeutic targets and move them forward into clinical application as quickly as possible,” remarked David H. Perlmutter, the George and Carol Bauer Dean of the School of Medicine.

John A. Olson Jr., head of the Department of Surgery, emphasized Mahajan's impact, noting his generosity with his time and expertise and his role model status for trainees, saying “Nupam Mahajan is exactly the type of translationally focused researcher we want to support in the Department of Surgery, and it is our hope that his discoveries in particular will lead to better treatments for patients with prostate cancer.” 

Progress in prostate cancer and its resistance to treatment have been greatly improved by Mahajan's innovative research, which focuses on identifying cellular triggers that alter the expression of prostate cancer-linked genes.  He discovered the role of tyrosine kinases in enabling androgen receptors to function independently of testosterone, accelerating cancer cell growth even during testosterone-reducing treatments.

Mahajan, who joined the faculty in 2018, holds 10 patents related to his research, most of which have been licensed for commercial development. He has received several accolades, including the Bankhead-Coley Award and the Movember-PCF Foundation Challenge Award, and has maintained continuous funding from the National Cancer Institute.

Mahajan earned his PhD from the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore, India, and completed his postdoctoral studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
 

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