Prajwal Rajappa, MD, MS, is a physician-scientist and principal investigator in the Steve and Cindy Rasmussen Institute for Genomic Medicine (IGM) at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. He directs the Rajappa Laboratory at the IGM with a focus on precision medicine and immunotherapy for patients diagnosed with central nervous system (CNS) tumors. Dr. Rajappa is also an assistant professor of Pediatrics at The Ohio State University College of Medicine and faculty member of the Translational Therapeutics Research Program at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center — Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute.
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Lab Staff
Alessandro Canella, PhD Research Scientist Alessandro.Canella@NationwideChildrens.org
Sakthi Rajendran Postdoctoral Scientist Sakthi.Rajendran@NationwideChildrens.org
Claire Schmitt Research Assistant Claire.Schmitt@NationwideChildrens.org
Sujay Kalathoor Medical Student Sujay.Kalathoor@NationwideChildrens.com
Abigail Haffey Research Student Abigail.Haffey@NationwideChildrens.org
Kelly Hao Research Student Kelly.Hao@NationwideChildrens.org
Information About Our Research
Dr. Rajappa’s laboratory team seeks to better understand the way brain tumor cells co-opt the functions of immune cells within the surrounding microenvironment of gliomas. Specifically, the team is defining driving factors that support low to high-grade glioma progression. Dr. Rajappa’s initial studies demonstrated that bone marrow-derived myeloid cells (BMDCs) are recruited to the glioma tumor site and may support the angiogenic switch during glioma progression. Modulating the recruitment and reprogramming of co-opted BMDCs with clinically approved compounds may improve outcomes for patients with CNS tumors harboring increased immune infiltration.
After obtaining his MD, Dr. Rajappa completed a unique fellowship and post-doctoral training program in the Department of Neurological Surgery of Weill Cornell Medical Center and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. As a fellow in Neurological Surgery, his training provided him exposure to the adult and pediatric neurosurgical management of brain and spinal tumors. Dr. Rajappa performed extensive basic science post-doctoral training with a specific focus on brain tumor immunology and the glioma microenvironment. His work has been published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, Cancer Research, and Clinical Cancer Research.
During his time at Weill Cornell Medicine, Dr. Rajappa was also actively involved in a large-scale clinically annotated biorepository study with the Children’s Oncology Group (COG) and the Children’s Brain Tumor Tissue Consortium (CBTTC).
To further his goal of developing targeted clinical trials for brain tumor patients, Dr. Rajappa obtained a master’s degree in Clinical and Translational Investigation from Cornell University. The degree was based on his work in directing a precision medicine program for patients with pediatric and adult brain tumors at Weill Cornell Medicine.
Alessandro Canella, PhD Research Scientist Alessandro.Canella@NationwideChildrens.org
Alessandro Canella, PhD Research Scientist Alessandro.Canella@NationwideChildrens.org
Sakthi Rajendran Postdoctoral Scientist Sakthi.Rajendran@NationwideChildrens.org
Sakthi Rajendran Postdoctoral Scientist Sakthi.Rajendran@NationwideChildrens.org
Claire Schmitt Research Assistant Claire.Schmitt@NationwideChildrens.org
Claire Schmitt Research Assistant Claire.Schmitt@NationwideChildrens.org
Sujay Kalathoor Medical Student Sujay.Kalathoor@NationwideChildrens.com
Sujay Kalathoor Medical Student Sujay.Kalathoor@NationwideChildrens.com
Abigail Haffey Research Student Abigail.Haffey@NationwideChildrens.org
Abigail Haffey Research Student Abigail.Haffey@NationwideChildrens.org
Kelly Hao Research Student Kelly.Hao@NationwideChildrens.org
Kelly Hao Research Student Kelly.Hao@NationwideChildrens.org
Dr. Rajappa is also an active member of the Society for Neuro-Oncology (SNO) and American Association for Cancer Research (AACR).
Neuro-Oncology and Tumor Immunology Publications
Oligodendrocyte progenitor cells promote neovascularization in glioma by disrupting the blood-brain barrier
Biomarker-Based PET Imaging of Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma in Mouse Models
Super-selective basilar artery infusion of bevacizumab and cetuximab for multiply recurrent pediatric ependymoma
A proangiogenic signaling axis in myeloid cells promotes malignant progression of glioma
Malignant Astrocytic Tumor Progression Potentiated by JAK-mediated Recruitment of Myeloid Cells
Funding Sources
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Neuro-Oncology and Tumor Immunology Publications
Oligodendrocyte progenitor cells promote neovascularization in glioma by disrupting the blood-brain barrier
Biomarker-Based PET Imaging of Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma in Mouse Models
Super-selective basilar artery infusion of bevacizumab and cetuximab for multiply recurrent pediatric ependymoma
A proangiogenic signaling axis in myeloid cells promotes malignant progression of glioma
Malignant Astrocytic Tumor Progression Potentiated by JAK-mediated Recruitment of Myeloid Cells
Funding Sources
Oligodendrocyte progenitor cells promote neovascularization in glioma by disrupting the blood-brain barrier
Biomarker-Based PET Imaging of Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma in Mouse Models
Oligodendrocyte progenitor cells promote neovascularization in glioma by disrupting the blood-brain barrier
Biomarker-Based PET Imaging of Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma in Mouse Models
Super-selective basilar artery infusion of bevacizumab and cetuximab for multiply recurrent pediatric ependymoma
A proangiogenic signaling axis in myeloid cells promotes malignant progression of glioma
Super-selective basilar artery infusion of bevacizumab and cetuximab for multiply recurrent pediatric ependymoma
A proangiogenic signaling axis in myeloid cells promotes malignant progression of glioma
Malignant Astrocytic Tumor Progression Potentiated by JAK-mediated Recruitment of Myeloid Cells
Malignant Astrocytic Tumor Progression Potentiated by JAK-mediated Recruitment of Myeloid Cells
Contact UsFor inquiries, use the form below: First Name
Last Name
Phone
Message
For inquiries, use the form below:
