Srivatsan Raghavan

Srivatsan Raghavan, MD, PhD, is a medical oncologist and physician-scientist at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and holds an academic appointment as an Instructor in Medicine at Harvard Medical School. He leads an independent research laboratory within the Hale Family Center for Pancreatic Cancer Research, focusing on translational oncology in gastrointestinal malignancies.

• Institution: Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
• School: Faculty of Medicine, Harvard Medical School
• Department: Department of Medical Oncology
• Academic Rank: Instructor

Dr. Raghavan's research centers on understanding cell state regulation and plasticity in pancreatic and biliary cancers, with a focus on how tumor microenvironmental signals influence therapeutic response and resistance. His lab employs cutting-edge technologies including single-cell RNA sequencing, patient-derived organoids, and functional genomic screens to dissect mechanisms of tumor evolution.

The recent publications highlight a strong trend in leveraging clinical specimens and preclinical models to uncover transcriptional heterogeneity, identify novel therapeutic targets such as in sulfur metabolism and DCLK1, and explore combination strategies to overcome resistance. His work bridges basic science with clinical translation, particularly in targeting FGFR alterations and modulating TGF-beta signaling.

Dr. Raghavan has contributed to several high-impact studies in journals like Cell, Cancer Discovery, and Nature Chemical Biology, often in collaborative, multi-institutional teams involving the Broad Institute, MIT, and Harvard. While no specific awards are listed, his co-first authorship on major papers indicates significant recognition in the field.

He mentors within his research group and collaborates widely across computational, clinical, and laboratory sciences. His work is supported by institutional and collaborative grants, though specific funding sources are not detailed. The lab actively participates in the broader mission of improving outcomes for pancreatic cancer patients through innovative science.

The Raghavan Lab operates within the Hale Family Center for Pancreatic Cancer Research, a multidisciplinary hub that integrates clinical care, genomics, and experimental therapeutics. The team works closely with experts in oncology, chemical biology, and bioinformatics across Dana-Farber, the Broad Institute, and MIT to accelerate discovery and translation.