I am a molecular biologist with a specialization in cancer biology. My previous and current research has focused on cancer initiation and therapeutic target identification by dissecting the transcriptional mechanisms and growth signaling pathways.

In Dr. Ulrich Steidl's lab, I have been investigating the transcriptional evolution of blood cancer (acute myeloid leukemia) at the single molecule and single cell level using single molecule mRNA fluorescence in situ hybridization (smFISH), a high-resolution and gold standard technique for studying transcription. I use multispectral fluorescence-activated cell sorting of primary hematopoietic stem cells from pre-leukemic mouse models to study transcriptional heterogeneity, which influences the decision-making of mutated and pre-leukemic HSCs.

Knowledge of these transcriptional mechanisms will not only shed light on the early transcriptional evolution strategies of acute myeloid leukemia, but may also guide the development of therapeutic interventions for early diagnosis and treatment.

1.              Kao YR, Chen J, Kumari R, Tatiparthy M, Ma Y, Aivalioti MM, Zintiridou A, Thiruthuvanathan V, Reisz JA, Stranski S, Sidoli S, Steidl U, D’Alessandro A, Will B. Cytoplasmic labile iron accumulates in aging stem cells perturbing a key rheostat for identity control. BioRxiv2021.08.03.454947; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.08.03.454947. 

2.              Ueda K, Kumari R, Schwenger E, Wheat JC, Bohorquez O, Narayanagari SR, Taylor SJ, Carvajal LA, Pradhan K, Bartholdy B, Todorova TI, Goto H, Sun D, Chen J, Shan J, Song Y, Montagna C, Xiong S, Lozano G, Pellagatti A, Boultwood J, Verma A, Steidl U. MDMX acts as a pervasive preleukemic-to-acute myeloid leukemia transition mechanism. Cancer Cell. 2021 Apr 12;39(4):529-547.e7.

3.              Ueda K*, Kumari R*, and Steidl U (2020). Fueling clonal dominance through TRAFficking of NF-κB signaling. Nature Immunology, 21. (Equal contribution)

4.              Kumari R, Deshmukh RS, and Das S (2019). Caspase-10 inhibits ATP-citrate lyase-mediated metabolic and epigenetic reprogramming to suppress tumorigenesis. Nature Communication, 10, 4255. 

5.              Kumari R, Khan R and Sharma A. Differentiation inducing factor-1 represses c-Myc and VEGF expression in multiple myeloma cells (2016). International Journal of Hematology and Oncology, 26, 189-198. 

6.              Kumari R, Kohli S and Das S. p53 regulation upon genotoxic stress: intricacies and complexities (2014). Molecular and Cellular Oncology, 1(13), e969653. 

7.              Kumari R, Sen N and Das S. Tumor suppressor p53: Understanding the molecular mechanisms of cancer (2014). Current Science, 107(5), 786-794. 

8.              Sen N, Kumari R, Singh MI and Das S. HDAC5, a key component in temporal regulation of p53-mediated transactivation in response to genotoxic stress (2013). Molecular Cell, 52, 406-420. (Featured Article) 

9.              Gupta RK, Patel AK, Kumari R, Chugh S, Shrivastava C, Mehra S, Sharma AN. Interactions between Oxidative Stress, Lipid Profile and Antioxidants in Breast Cancer: A Case Control Study (2012). Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention, 13(12), 6295-6298.