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	Nagendra Ningaraj, Ph.D., CCRP Associate Member, Curtis and Elizabeth Anderson Cancer Institute Department of Laboratory Oncology Research Associate Professor, Departments of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, and Division of Basic Medical Science, Mercer University School of Medicine - Savannah Campus 912-350-0958 (phone) 912-350-1281 (fax) NingaNa1@memorialhealth.com

Research Focus
Developing new approaches to target brain tumors by breaking through the normal blood-brain barrier (BBB) and blood-brain-tumor barrier (BTB). By gaining a better understanding of the differences in the BBB and BTB, scientists hope to better understand brain tumor survival, growth, and anticancer drug delivery. Ningaraj is also studying the role of microRNA and epigenetic events involved in brain tumor progression. Using established brain tumor cell lines and brain tumor tissue, he hopes to identify the genes and proteins that are silenced as a result of CpG island methylation.

Biography
Nagendra Ningaraj, Ph.D., CCRP, completed his undergraduate degree and his master's degree in biochemistry at Mysore University in India. He received his Doctor of Philosophy in neurochemistry at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences in Bangalore, India. After moving to the United States, he performed his postdoctoral research in pharmacology and medicinal chemistry at the University of Kansas. Ningaraj then moved to Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, where he was a group leader and principal sub-investigator in neurosciences research. As a co-investigator, he obtained approximately $4 million in research funds at Cedars-Sinai. Ningaraj later moved to Vanderbilt University as a research associate professor of cancer biology and director of the Neuro Oncology Research Laboratory. He pursued a Master of Business Administration degree from Mercer University in Macon, Ga. Ningaraj has more than 12 national and international patent applications for experimental methods. He has published more than 30 articles covering a wide range of subjects in neuroscience and cancer research, and presented in national and international scientific meetings.

Recent Publications
Ningaraj et al. Targeted brain cancer treatment -- current perspectives. Drug Target Insights. 2007; in press.

Rao MK, Bindu K, Das A, Ningaraj NS. Activation of potassium channels increases temozolomide delivery to brain tumor and enhances anti-tumor activity. Biochemical Pharmacology. 2007; accepted.

Ningaraj NS. Progress and challenges of drug delivery to brain tumors. Expert Opinion on Drug Delivery. 2006;3:499-509.

Ningaraj NS, Black KL. Biochemical modulation of abnormal brain capillaries for enhanced and selective drug delivery. Cancer Control. 2004;11: 165-173.

Ningaraj NS, Das A. Riluzole: A potent anti-brain tumor agent? Neurosciences Report. Summer 2003; review article featured in Brainlife.