Alakananda Basu

Alakananda Basu is a Professor in the Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Genetics at the University of North Texas Health Science Center's College of Biomedical and Translational Sciences. Her research focuses on signal transduction pathways in cancer chemotherapy, particularly investigating how pathways like PKC, Akt, and mTOR/S6K regulate apoptosis, autophagy, and senescence. She employs cellular, molecular, and biochemical approaches alongside proteomics/genomics to develop novel cancer therapies and identify biomarkers predicting treatment response.

• Education: PhD in Biochemistry (University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine), MS and Bachelor's in Chemistry (University of Calcutta)
• Research Interests: Cancer Biology, Drug Resistance Mechanisms, Apoptosis Regulation, mTOR/S6 Kinase Signaling

Her work includes projects funded by Intramural Research (UNTHSC) targeting breast cancer therapies, such as studies on S6 kinase, PKC-epsilon's role in autophagy, and mTOR pathway inhibitors. She has published over 98 peer-reviewed articles, with key contributions in Cancer Research, Biochemistry, and International Journal of Oncology.

Her research portfolio emphasizes translational strategies to overcome chemotherapy resistance and identify therapeutic targets for cancers like triple-negative breast cancer. She has led initiatives to explore the molecular basis of drug resistance and develop biomarker-driven therapies.