Kunal Rai, Ph.D.
Department of Genomic Medicine, Division of Cancer Medicine
About Dr. Rai
I am a cancer researcher with keen interest in translating the findings and facilitating its reach to the cancer patients. I have twelve years of research experience leading multiple research projects that have led to multiple high-impact findings in principles of normal development, cancer initiation and metastatic spread.
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Present Title & Affiliation
Primary Appointment
Assistant Professor, Department of Genomic Medicine, Division of Cancer Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
Instructor, Department of Genomic Medicine, Division of Cancer Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
Instructor, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
Education & Training
Degree-Granting Education
| 2006 | University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA, PHD, Cancer Biology |
| 2002 | Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, IND, B.Tech, Biotechnology and Biochemical Engineering |
Postgraduate Training
| 2010-2011 | Research Fellowship, Cancer Epigenetics, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA |
| 2007-2009 | Research Fellowship, Cancer Epigenetics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT |
Selected Publications
Peer-Reviewed Articles
- Deribe YL, Shi Y, Rai K, Nezi L, Amin SB, Wu CC, Akdemir KC, Mohdavi M, Peng, Chang QE, Harnigold K, Arold ST, Welch HCE, Garraway L, Chin L. Truncating PREX2 mutations activate its GEF activity and alter gene expression regulation in NRAS-mutant melanoma. Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences 113(9):E1296 - E1305, 2016.
- Keung EZ, Akdemir KC, Al Sannaa GA, Garnett J, Lev D, Torres KE, Lazar AJ, Rai K, Chin L. Increased H3K9me3 drives dedifferentiated phenotype via KLF6 repression in liposarcoma. J Clin Invest 10(8):1172, 2015. e-Pub 2015. PMID: 26193637.
- Cheng CS, Rai K, Garber M, Hollinger A, Robbins D, Anderson S, Macbeth A, Tzou A, Carneiro MO, Raychowdhury R, Russ C, Hacohen N, Gershenwald JE, Lennon N, Nusbaum C, Chin L, Regev A, Amit I. Semiconductor-based DNA sequencing of histone modification states. Nat Commun 4:2672, 2013. PMID: 24157732.
- Genovese G, Ergun A, Shukla SA, Campos B, Hanna J, Ghosh P, Quayle SN, Rai K, Colla S, Ying H, Wu CJ, Sarkar S, Xiao Y, Zhang J, Zhang H, Kwong L, Dunn K, Wiedemeyer WR, Brennan C, Zheng H, Rimm DL, Collins JJ, Chin L. microRNA Regulatory Network Inference Identifies miR-34a as a Novel Regulator of TGF-β Signaling in Glioblastoma. Cancer Discov 2(8):736-749, 2012. e-Pub 2012. PMID: 22750848.
- Rai K, Sarkar S, Broadbent TJ, Voas M, Grossmann KF, Nadauld LD, Dehghanizadeh S, Hagos FT, Li Y, Toth RK, Chidester S, Bahr TM, Johnson WE, Sklow B, Burt R, Cairns BR, Jones DA. DNA demethylase activity maintains intestinal cells in an undifferentiated state following loss of APC. Cell 142(6):930-42, 2010. PMID: 20850014.
- Rai K, Jafri IF, Chidester S, James SR, Karpf AR, Cairns BR, Jones DA. Dnmt3 and G9a cooperate for tissue-specific development in zebrafish. J Biol Chem 285(6):4110-21, 2010. e-Pub 2009. PMID: 19946145.
- Phelps RA, Chidester S, Dehghanizadeh S, Phelps J, Sandoval IT, Rai K, Broadbent T, Sarkar S, Burt RW, Jones DA. A two-step model for colon adenoma initiation and progression caused by APC loss. Cell 137(4):623-34, 2009. PMID: 19450512.
- Rai K, Huggins IJ, James SR, Karpf AR, Jones DA, Cairns BR. DNA demethylation in zebrafish involves the coupling of a deaminase, a glycosylase, and gadd45. Cell 135(7):1201-12, 2008. PMID: 19109892.
- Rai K, Chidester S, Zavala CV, Manos EJ, James SR, Karpf AR, Jones DA, Cairns BR. Dnmt2 functions in the cytoplasm to promote liver, brain, and retina development in zebrafish. Genes Dev 21(3):261-6, 2007. PMID: 17289917.
- Rai K, Nadauld LD, Chidester S, Manos EJ, James SR, Karpf AR, Cairns BR, Jones DA. Zebra fish Dnmt1 and Suv39h1 regulate organ-specific terminal differentiation during development. Mol Cell Biol 26(19):7077-85, 2006. PMID: 16980612.
- Nadauld LD, Chidester S, Shelton DN, Rai K, Broadbent T, Sandoval IT, Peterson PW, Manos EJ, Ireland CM, Yost HJ, Jones DA. Dual roles for adenomatous polyposis coli in regulating retinoic acid biosynthesis and Wnt during ocular development. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 103(36):13409-14, 2006. e-Pub 2006. PMID: 16938888.
- Rai K*. Genomic Classification of Cutaneous Melanoma. Cell 7(161):1681-96. e-Pub 2015. PMID: 26091043.
Invited Articles
- Keung EZ, Rai K. H3K9me3 Mediated Repression of KLF6: Discovering a Novel Tumor Suppressor in Liposarcoma Using a Systematic Epigenomic Approach. Mol Cell Oncol 3(3):e1093691, 2016. e-Pub 2015. PMID: 27314083.
Grant & Contract Support
| Title: | Investigating the Mechanism of Action of Epigenetic Modifications and Factors during Metastatic Progression of Melanoma |
| Funding Source: | Charles A King Trust Post-doctoral Fellowship |
| Role: | Principal Investigator |
| Title: | Epigenetic regulators of metastasis in bladder cancer |
| Funding Source: | MDACC BLADDER CANCER SPORE |
| Role: | Principal Investigator |
| Title: | Defining metastasis-specific higher-order chromatin structure in melanoma |
| Funding Source: | UTMDACC Center for Cancer Epigenetics |
| Role: | Co-Principal Investigator |
| Title: | Epigenome changes during melanoma progression |
| Funding Source: | Center for Cancer Epigenetics |
| Role: | Principal Investigator |
| Title: | Epigenetic of Melanoma Metastasis |
| Funding Source: | NIH/NCI |
| Role: | Principal Investigator |
| Title: | Characterization of epigenome in cancer cell lines |
| Funding Source: | UTMDACC |
| Role: | Principal Investigator |
| Title: | UT MD Anderson Cancer Center Melanoma SPORE- Project 4 |
| Funding Source: | NIH/NCI |
| Role: | Co-Investigator |
| Title: | UTMDACC Brain SPORE - Career Enhancement Project |
| Funding Source: | NIH/NCI |
| Role: | Principal Investigator |
| Title: | Epigenetic of Melanoma Metastasis |
| Funding Source: | NIH/NCI |
| Role: | Principal Investigator |
| Title: | CRC Moonshot project #9 |
| Funding Source: | UTMDACC |
| Role: | Investigator |
| Title: | UTMDACC Lung SPORE: Career Enhancement Program Award |
| Funding Source: | NIH/NCI |
| Role: | Investigator |
| Title: | Melanoma Research Foundation |
| Funding Source: | Melanoma Research Foundation |
| Role: | Principal Investigator |