Ridhdhi Desai

Ridhdhi Desai, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology at Drexel University College of Medicine. She leads the Desai Lab, focusing on pancreatic cancer development using human stem cell-derived organoid models. Her work investigates mechanisms underlying precancerous lesions like IPMNs and PanINs, particularly how oncogenic mutations (e.g., GNAS) drive cell proliferation and tumor progression.

Education: BSc (Honors) in Molecular Biology and Genetics from the University of Toronto (2005), PhD in Biomedical Sciences from the same institution (2010). Postdoctoral training at Harvard Medical School/Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (2010-2018).

Research Interests

• Cell-type specific oncogene activity in pancreatic cancer
• Modeling IPMN progression using organoids
• Exocrine-endocrine crosstalk in pancreatic disease
• Oncogenic GNAS signaling pathways

Key Findings

• Discovered PKA-dependent/independent mechanisms of GNAS-driven proliferation in pancreatic ductal organoids
• Developed long-term oncogenic GNAS-expressing organoid models
• Identified cell lineage tropism effects on oncogene cooperation

Awards

• NIH-NCI Transition Career Development Award (2023)
• Ruth L. Kirschstein Postdoctoral Award (2015-2018)
• Young Canadian Cell Biologist of the Year (2013)
• Yoshio Masui Prize (2010)

Lab Team Includes PhD/Master’s students and research assistants exploring pancreatic cancer mechanisms. Open to recruiting motivated trainees across levels.