Supriya Gangadharan Prasanth

Supriya Gangadharan Prasanth is a Professor and Head of the Department of Cell and Developmental Biology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She holds a M.Sc. in Genetics from the University of Delhi and a Ph.D. in Molecular Genetics and Life Sciences from the National Institute of Immunology, India. Her postdoctoral training was at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, USA.

Her research focuses on understanding how DNA replication integrates with chromatin organization and cell cycle control. Key areas include the role of Origin Recognition Complex (ORC) proteins in heterochromatin structure, chromosome segregation, and cytokinesis. Her work explores mechanisms linking ORC dysfunction to cancer via genomic instability and mitotic defects.

• Research Highlights:
• ORC’s dual roles in DNA replication and heterochromatin maintenance
• Orc6’s involvement in cytokinesis and cell cycle coordination
• ORC’s impact on viral replication (EBV) and cancer-linked genomic disorders

Awards: NSF CAREER Award (2013), Lynn M. Martin Award for Women in Teaching, MCB Research Excellence Award.

Her lab employs live-cell imaging, genetic complementation, and super-resolution microscopy to study ORC interactions and cellular processes. Current projects address how ORC proteins regulate chromatin compaction, sister chromatid cohesion, and mitotic spindle dynamics.