Vikram Paralkar

Vikram Paralkar, M.D., serves as Assistant Professor in both the Department of Medicine and Department of Cell and Developmental Biology at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine. He is also an Investigator at the Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, with laboratory facilities in the BRB II/III building (Room 549) and offices in Room 551 at 421 Curie Boulevard, Philadelphia. His work bridges clinical hematology/oncology with fundamental molecular research in blood cell development and malignancy.

Dr. Paralkar's research program centers on three interconnected domains: (1) rRNA Transcription in Hematopoiesis and Leukemia, investigating how hematopoietic transcription factors regulate RNA Polymerase I activity at ribosomal DNA loci; (2) Stemness and Differentiation Dynamics, examining chromatin protein networks that maintain hematopoietic stem cell equilibrium and how their dysregulation drives leukemia; and (3) Specialized Bioinformatic Pipelines, developing computational tools to map repetitive ribosomal DNA elements previously excluded from genomic analyses. His lab integrates patient samples, murine models, molecular biology, high-throughput sequencing, and custom algorithms to address these questions.

Analysis of his recent publications reveals a dominant focus on ribosomal RNA regulation in blood cell development and acute myeloid leukemia (AML), with particular emphasis on transcription factors PHF6, PHIP, and CEBPA. His work demonstrates how dysregulated ribosome biogenesis contributes to leukemogenesis, while his lab's development of rDNA-mapping tools has enabled novel mechanistic insights into nucleolar function across the hematopoietic hierarchy.

Dr. Paralkar actively mentors trainees across career stages, with current advisees including:

• Sanae Dezhabad (Undergraduate Student)
• Jill Henrich (Graduate Student)
• Aishwarya Pawar (Graduate Student)
• Eleanor Sams (Graduate Student)

The Paralkar Lab operates within the Division of Hematology and Oncology and maintains formal affiliations with the Penn Epigenetics Institute, Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, and Abramson Cancer Center. The lab welcomes motivated researchers at all levels and emphasizes collaborative, interdisciplinary approaches to understanding ribosome biology in normal and malignant hematopoiesis.