College of Medicine
University of Nebraska Medical Center
University of Nebraska Medical Center

Ranjana K. Kanchan , PhD

Assistant Professor, Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry

402-559-7754

Ranjana K. Kanchan, PhD, is an assistant professor in the UNMC Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry. Her research focuses on identifying novel therapeutic vulnerabilities in pediatric brain tumors, particularly Group 3 medulloblastoma, the most aggressive subtype associated with poor clinical outcomes.

The goal of the Kanchan Lab is to translate mechanistic discoveries into innovative therapies that improve survival while reducing long-term treatment-related toxicities in children. Current studies investigate ferroptosis, an iron-dependent form of regulated cell death, as a therapeutic strategy for MYC-driven Group 3 medulloblastoma by examining alterations in iron metabolism, glutathione homeostasis, and mitochondrial function.

In parallel, the laboratory explores mitotic vulnerabilities, focusing on kinetochore proteins and mitotic regulators that promote chromosomal instability and tumor progression. By integrating ferroptosis, mitochondrial metabolism, and mitotic regulation, the Kanchan Lab aims to develop effective combination therapies for high-risk pediatric brain tumors.

  • BSc: Chemistry, Zoology, Botany, MJP Rohilkhand University, Bareilly, India.
  • MSc: Toxicology, Hamdard University, New Delhi, India.
  • PhD: Life science, Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, India.
Current areas of research include:
  • Ferroptosis and metabolic dependencies: Understanding how alterations in iron metabolism, glutathione homeostasis, and mitochondrial function influence ferroptotic susceptibility and therapeutic response.
  •  Mitotic vulnerabilities in medulloblastoma: Defining the role of the kinetochore proteins associated mitotic regulators in maintaining chromosomal stability and promoting tumor aggressiveness.
  • Targeted therapeutic development: Evaluating novel small-molecule inhibitors, including next-generation directed approaches, as potential therapies for MYC-driven Group 3 medulloblastoma.
  • Combination treatment strategies: Developing rational therapeutic combinations designed to overcome resistance to conventional therapies and enhance treatment efficacy.

R.K. Kanchan, J.A. Siddiqui, S. Mahapatra, S.K. Batra, M.W. Nasser, microRNAs Orchestrate Pathophysiology of Breast Cancer Brain Metastasis: Advances in Therapy, Mol Cancer, 19 (2020) 29.

R.K. Kanchan*, N. Perumal*, P. Atri, R. Chirravuri Venkata, I. Thapa, D.L. Klinkebiel, A.M. Donson, D. Perry, M. Punsoni, G.A. Talmon, D.W. Coulter, D.R. Boue, M. Snuderl, M.W. Nasser, S.K. Batra, R. Vibhakar, S. Mahapatra, MiR-1253 exerts tumor-suppressive effects in medulloblastoma via inhibition of CDK6 and CD276 (B7-H3), Brain Pathol, 30 (2020) 732-745.

S.K. Gautam*, R.K. Kanchan*, J.A. Siddiqui, S.K. Maurya, S. Rauth, N. Perumal, P. Atri, R.C. Venkata, K. Mallya, S. Mirza, M.P. Ponnusamy, V. Band, S. Mahapatra, M. Jain, S.K. Batra, M.W. Nasser, Blocking c-MET/ERBB1 Axis Prevents Brain Metastasis in ERBB2+ Breast Cancer, Cancers (Basel), 12 (2020).

Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

College of Medicine
University of Nebraska Medical Center
985870 Nebraska Medical Center
Durham Research Center I, Room 7005
Omaha, NE 68198-5870

Publications