ANDREA KASINSKI

Andrea Kasinski is a Professor of Biological Sciences and Deputy Director of the Purdue Institute for Cancer Research at Purdue University. Her research focuses on non-coding RNAs (microRNAs, lncRNAs, circRNAs) in cancer development and their therapeutic applications. She leads a multidisciplinary team investigating RNA delivery systems, extracellular vesicle biology, and epigenetic regulation in cancer. Key projects include ligand-mediated delivery of miRNAs, exosome-based therapies, and high-throughput screens for miRNA inhibitors.

Education: PhD in Molecular & Systems Pharmacology (Emory University, 2009), Postdoctoral Fellowship in Genetics (Yale University, 2013). Awards include NIH Pathway to Independence Award (2013), American Cancer Society Research Scholar (2017), and multiple grants from NIH/NCI (R01 CA205420, R01 CA226259). Her lab has pioneered 'FolamiRs' – folate-targeted miRNA therapeutics – and developed novel strategies for endosomal escape of RNA payloads.

Major contributions include identifying miRNA drivers of drug resistance, demonstrating exosome-mediated tumor progression, and advancing miR-34a as a clinical candidate. The lab maintains active collaborations with institutions including Harvard Medical School, MD Anderson Cancer Center, and the National Cancer Institute. Current initiatives focus on KMT5C-mediated epigenetic regulation in EGFR-resistant lung cancers and translational development of fully modified miR-34a (FM-miR-34a).