Basu Lab
Head and Neck Cancer Biology and Translational Therapeutics
Devraj Basu Laboratory
Dept. Otorhinolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery
University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine
Philadelphia, PA USA
Varun Sahu, B.S. After graduating from Rutgers University, Mr. Sahu served the lab from 2014 until 2019 as a Research Specialist. In addition to participating in all basic studies in the laboratory, he played a central role in developing the unique patient-derived models now available to the lab, including the multiple PDXs, organoids, and cell lines derived from HPV+ head and neck cancers. He is presently working in the lab of Anil Rustgi, MD at Columbia University and applying to medical school.
The PI oversees long-term projects by PhD students and postdoctoral fellows with the goal of mentoring scientific independence. Rotating graduate students, medical students, and resident physicians are encouraged to collaborate in advancing specific components of these existing projects. Our present efforts focus primarily on HPV+ head and neck cancer and span these topics:
Defining host and viral mechanisms regulating the diverse metabolic phenotypes present among different HPV+ cancers.
Characterizing the metabolic plasticity exploited by HPV+ cancers to drive progression and evade standard therapies.
Determining the implications of intrinsic differences in metabolic phenotype among HPV+ cancers for therapeutic outcome.
Developing prognostic and therapeutic biomarkers for HPV+ cancer based upon differences in metabolic profile.
Please reach the PI for more information via the "contact" tab for discussion of specific projects and general training philosophy in the lab.