Pinku Mukherjee

Pinku Mukherjee, PhD, is the Irwin Belk Distinguished Professor at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNCC). Their research focuses on cancer biology and immunology, particularly the role of the MUC1 glycoprotein in tumor progression. Dr. Mukherjee leads a lab investigating MUC1's functional differences in normal vs. cancerous cells, leveraging genomic and proteomic tools to identify biomarkers and therapeutic targets for cancers like breast, pancreatic, and ovarian.

Funding sources include grants from the National Cancer Institute (NCI), Department of Defense (DoD), Susan G. Komen Foundation, and Pancreatic Cancer Action Network/AACR. Awards include the 2018 First Citizens Bank Scholars Award and 2015 O. Max Gardener Award. Research emphasizes CAR T-cell therapies targeting MUC1, drug resistance mechanisms, and nanotechnology-based drug delivery systems.

• Key Areas: MUC1 signaling in cancer, immunotherapy development, biomarker discovery
• Labs: MUC1 Cancer Research Lab at UNCC
• Grants: NCI R01, DoD Peer-Reviewed Cancer Research Program

Dr. Mukherjee collaborates internationally on translational research, including clinical trials for targeted therapies and preclinical models in immunocompetent hosts.