Dinesh S. Rao

Dinesh S. Rao is a Professor in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles. As a physician-scientist, his work bridges molecular pathology of hematologic malignancies with RNA biology, focusing on mechanisms of post-transcriptional gene regulation in leukemia and lymphoma.

• Education: B.S. (Biochemistry, Case Western Reserve), M.D. (Case Western Reserve)
• Labs: Rao Lab at UCLA (established 2010)

His research explores:

• MicroRNA regulation in immune system cancers
• RNA binding proteins (e.g., IGF2BP3) in leukemogenesis
• Post-transcriptional control of hematopoietic stem cells
• Therapeutic targeting of RNA regulators in MLL-rearranged leukemias

Key article trends highlight:

• 2025–2023: Computational modeling of hematopoietic aging
• 2024: IGF2BP3 inhibition mechanisms
• 2023: Multi-omics in AML and B-ALL

Research grants include:

• NIH R01CA264986 (2021–2026): Protein-RNA interactions in cancer
• CIRM DISC-2-13456 (2022–2024): Cancer stem cell targeting
• NIH R03CA251845 (2021–2023): USO1 in leukemogenesis

His clinical service focuses on molecular diagnostics for leukemia and lymphoma, and he actively investigates novel therapeutic approaches targeting RNA regulators in hematologic cancers.