RAVI THAKUR, PhD — Consultant

Cancer kills with metabolic cunning. I've spent 15 years learning how to outsmart it. I'm a cancer biologist and translational scientist working at the intersection of functional genomics, metabolic oncology, and next-generation cell-based immunotherapy. After eight years of research at the University of Nebraska Medical Center and the University of Oklahoma Health Science Center, where I utilized various omics, molecular biology, and cell biology platforms, including genome-wide CRISPR screens and metabolomics studies, and uncovered new vulnerabilities in pancreatic cancer, I returned to India to build something new. I'm now establishing a laboratory at Christ University, Bengaluru, focused on two frontier programs: 🔬 Metabolically Enhanced CAR-NK & CAR-T Cells: Aimed at engineering immune cells using synthetic biology so they can survive and fight inside the hostile, nutrient-starved environment of solid tumors. A "Protect and Attack" strategy. 🧬 Novel CRISPR Nuclease Discovery: Aimed at employing metagenomics to mine the microbial world for new CRISPR-associated enzymes with unique properties for targeted gene activation. ⚡ Metabolic Drivers of Cell Fate: Aimed at decoding how oncometabolites, iron homeostasis, and redox flux dictate the destiny of both malignant cells and the immune effectors meant to destroy them, and reverse-engineering these vulnerabilities into therapeutic roadmaps. 🔵 Liquid Biopsies & Exosome-Based Delivery (developing theme): Aimed at exploring circulating tumor-derived exosomes as dual-purpose tools: non-invasive biomarkers for early detection and monitoring, and engineered delivery vehicles for CRISPR cargo and immunomodulatory payloads. My published work has appeared in Cancer Discovery, Cancer Research, Nature Cell Biology, Molecular Cancer, and PNAS. Beyond the bench, I'm an Associate Editor at Frontiers in Oncology, a reviewer for 15+ journals, and deeply committed to mentoring the next generation of Indian biomedical scientists. I think cutting-edge science needs to be communicated as clearly as it's conducted. Outside the lab: painter, photographer, occasional poet, badminton enthusiast, and an increasingly dangerous board-game player. If you're working on CRISPR platforms, cell therapies, cancer metabolism, or translational oncology, let's connect.

Stackforce AI infers this person is a Healthcare-focused cancer researcher with expertise in genomics and immunotherapy.

Location: Bengaluru, Karnataka, India

Experience: 10 yrs 1 mo