Pratibha Sharma
Department of Neuro-Oncology, Division of Cancer Medicine
About Pratibha Sharma
Dr. Sharma is an Assistant Professor within the Department of Neuro-Oncology. Her areas of expertise are Energy metabolism in glioma, Targeted therapy and Translational cancer research.
Present Title & Affiliation
Primary Appointment
Assistant Professor, Neuro-Oncology - Research, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
Education & Training
Degree-Granting Education
| 2014 | Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai, IN, Biosciences and Bioengineering, Ph.D |
| 2007 | Maharaja Sayaji Rao University of Baroda, Vadodara, IN, Biotechnology, M.S |
| 2005 | S N Sen, Chhatrapati Sahuji Maharaj University Kanpur, UP, IN, Biology, BS |
Postgraduate Training
| 2020-2021 | Postdoctoral Fellow, Neuro-Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas |
| 2017-2020 | Postdoctoral Fellow, Neuro-Oncology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio |
| 2015-2016 | Postdoctoral Fellow, Veterinary medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio |
Experience & Service
Faculty Academic Appointments
Instructor, Neuro-Oncology - Research, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 2021 - 2023
Extramural Institutional Committee Activities
Committee Member, Junior Faculty Committee, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 2023 - Present
Honors & Awards
| 2024 | Career Enhancement Project, Brain Cancer SPORE |
| 2023 | Editorial Scholar, Society of Neuro-Oncology |
| 2022 | Career Enhancement Project, Brain Cancer SPORE |
| 2010 - 2012 | Senior Research Fellowship, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Government of India |
| 2007 - 2009 | Junior Research Fellowship, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Government of India |
| 2005 - 2007 | Fellowship, Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Government of India |
Professional Memberships
Selected Presentations & Talks
Regional Presentations
- 2022. Brain Tumor Center Program Series. Conference. MDACC, US.
Grant & Contract Support
| Date: | 2025 - Present |
| Title: | Reprogramming Energy Metabolism for Immunotherapy in Gliomas |
| Funding Source: | CANCER NEUROSCIENCE PROGRAM |
| Role: | Co-PI |
| Date: | 2023 - Present |
| Title: | Targeting the glioma tumor microenvironment |
| Funding Source: | Swim Across America- Houston (SWAA) |
| Role: | PI |
| Date: | 2022 - 2023 |
| Title: | Targeting metabolic vulnerabilities of glioma for Radio-sensitization |
| Funding Source: | MDACC Brain Cancer SPORE |
| Role: | PI |
| Date: | 2020 - 2026 |
| Title: | Characterization of Onalespib, A novel long acting Hsp90 inhibitor |
| Funding Source: | NIH-RO1 |
| Role: | Co-I |
| Title: | TARGETING DIFFERENTIAL ENERGY METABOLISM OF GLIOMAS FOR THERAPEUTICS |
| Funding Source: | GBM Foundation |
| Role: | Co-I |
| Title: | Targeting NAMPT, a double-edged sword for treatment of glioma |
| Funding Source: | MDACC Brain Cancer SPORE |
| Role: | PI |
Selected Publications
Peer-Reviewed Articles
- Yu, K, Basu, S, Baquer, G, Ahn, R, Gantchev, J, Jindal, S, Regan, MS, Abou-Mrad, Z, Prabhu, MC, Williams, MJ, D’Souza, AD, Malinowski, S, Hopland, K, Elhanati, Y, Stopka, SA, Stortchevoi, A, Couturier, C, He, Z, Sun, JJ, Chen, Y, Espejo, A, Chow, KH, Yerrum, S, Kao, PL, Kerrigan, BP, Norberg, L, Nielsen, D, Douville, C, Sharma, P, Giantini-Larsen, AM, Hu, J, Ayoub, G, Elharouni, D, Polk, MJ, Landivar, AM, Masud, N, Ling, AL, Triggs, D, Piranlioglu, R, Ball, A, Soni, H, Solomon, IH, Vasquez, KL, Vogelzang, J, Puduvalli, VK, Huse, J, Kim, YB, Goswami, S, Lang Jr, FF, Sharma, P. Investigative needle core biopsies support multimodal deep-data generation in glioblastoma. Nature communications 16(1), 2025. e-Pub 2025. PMID: 40295505.
- Ling, AL, Gantchev, J, Prabhu, MC, Basu, S, Ahn, R, Holdhoff, M, Masud, N, Ball, A, Nikas, O, Villa, GR, Regan, MS, Baquer, G, Ayoub, G, Whittaker, CA, Abou-Mrad, Z, Santos, A, Couturier, C, Elharouni, D, Vogelzang, J, Yu, K, Chen, H, He, Z, Jiang, W, Lucas, CG, Sax, HE, Lang Jr, FF, Puduvalli, VK, Tabar, V, Brennan, CW, Boire, A, Holdhoff, M, Bettegowda, C, Cima, M, Solomon, IH, Yuan, Y, Tak, PP, Sharma, P, White, F, Ligon, KL, Agar, NY, Espejo, A, Sun, JJ, Chen, Y, Jindal, S, Huse, J, Goswami, S, Akdemir, KC, Hu, J, Sharma, P, Buchold, G. Serial multiomics uncovers anti-glioblastoma responses not evident by routine clinical analyses. Science translational medicine 17(819), 2025. e-Pub 2025. PMID: 41061048.
- Sharma, P, Xu, J, Puduvalli, VK. Epichaperome Inhibition by PU-H71-Mediated Targeting of HSP90 Sensitizes Glioblastoma Cells to Alkylator-Induced DNA Damage. Cancers 16(23), 2024. e-Pub 2024. PMID: 39682123.
- Sharma, P, Puduvalli, VK. Protocol for real-time assessment of mitochondrial and glycolytic ATP production in patient-derived glioma stem-like cells. STAR Protocols 5(3), 2024. e-Pub 2024. PMID: 38941182.
- Leong, VW, Khan, S, Sharma, P, Wu, S, Thomas, RR, Li, X, Singh, S, Lang Jr, FF, Yung, WA, Koul, D. MGMT function determines the differential response of ATR inhibitors with DNA-damaging agents in glioma stem cells for GBM therapy. Neuro-Oncology Advances 6(1), 2024. e-Pub 2024. PMID: 38213834.
- Sharma, P, Aaroe, AE, Liang, J, Puduvalli, VK. Tumor microenvironment in glioblastoma. Neuro-Oncology Advances 5(1), 2023. e-Pub 2023. PMID: 36968288.
- Sharma, Pratibha, Aaroe A, Liang J, K Puduvall AV. Tumor Microenvironment in Glioblastoma: Current and Emerging Concepts, 2023. e-Pub 2023.
- Xu J, Pei-Jung W, Tzung-Huei L, Sharma P, Canella A, Welker A, Beattie C, et al. Disruption of DNA Repair and Survival Pathways through Heat Shock Protein Inhibition by Onalespib to Sensitize Malignant Gliomas to Chemoradiation Therapy. Clinical Cancer Research 28 9:1979-1990, 2022. e-Pub 2022. PMID: 35140124.
- Sharma P, Xu J, Williams K, Easley M, Brad EJ, Lonser R, Lang Frederick F, Lapalombella R, Sampath D, Puduvalli A, Vinay K. Inhibition of nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT), the rate-limiting enzyme of the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) salvage pathway, to target glioma heterogeneity through mitochondrial oxidative stress. Neuro-oncology 24 2:229-244, 2022. e-Pub 2022. PMID: 34260721.
- Sharma P, Xu J, Williams K, Easley M, Elder JB, Lonser R, Lang FF, Lapalombella R, Sampath D, Puduvalli VK. Inhibition of nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase, the rate-limiting enzyme of the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide salvage pathway, to target glioma heterogeneity through mitochondrial oxidative stress. Neuro Oncol. e-Pub 2021. PMID: 34260721.
- Mitchell SR, Larkin K, Grieselhuber NR, Lai TH, Cannon M, Orwick S, Sharma P, Asemelash Y, Zhang P, Goettl VM, Beaver L, Mims A, Puduvalli VK, Blachly JS, Lehman A, Harrington B, Henderson S, Breitbach JT, Williams KE, Dong S, Baloglu E, Senapedis W, Kirschner K, Sampath D, Lapalombella R, Byrd JC. Selective targeting of NAMPT by KPT-9274 in acute myeloid leukemia. Blood Adv 3(3):242-255, 2019. e-Pub 2019. PMID: 30692102.
- Mitchell S R, Larkin K, Grieselhuber N R, Tzung-Huei L, Cannon M, Orwick S, Sharma P, et al. Selective targeting of NAMPT by KPT-9274 in acute myeloid leukemia. Blood advances 3 3:242-255, 2019. e-Pub 2019. PMID: 30692102.
- Sharma P, Teymournejad O, Rikihisa Y. Peptide Nucleic Acid Knockdown and Intra-host Cell Complementation of Ehrlichia Type IV Secretion System Effector. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 7(228):1-9, 2017. e-Pub 2017. PMID: 28638803.
- Sharma P, Teymournejad O, Rikihisa A, Y. Peptide nucleic acid knockdown and intra-host cell complementation of Ehrlichia type IV secretion system effector. Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology 7:228, 2017. e-Pub 2017. PMID: 28638803.
- Xiong Q, Bekebrede H, Sharma P, Arroyo LG, Baird JD, Rikihisa Y. An Ecotype of Neorickettsia risticii Causing Potomac Horse Fever in Canada. Appl Environ Microbiol 82(19):6030-6, 2016. e-Pub 2016. PMID: 27474720.
- Xiong Q, Bekebrede H, Sharma P, Arroyo L G, Baird J D, Rikihisa A, Y. An ecotype of Neorickettsia risticii causing Potomac horse fever in Canada. Applied and environmental microbiology 82 19:6030-6036, 2016. e-Pub 2016. PMID: 27474720.
- Sharma P, Noronha A, S. Comparative assessment of factors involved in acetoin synthesis by Bacillus subtilis 168. International Scholarly Research Notices 2014, 2014. e-Pub 2014. PMID: 24734205.
- Sharma P, Noronha S. Comparative Assessment of Factors Involved in Acetoin Synthesis by Bacillus subtilis 168. ISRN Microbiol 2014:578682, 2014. e-Pub 2014. PMID: 24734205.
Abstracts
- Liang, Jiyong, Huo L, Xu J, Sharma P, Chen X, K Puduvalli AV. Interrogating drug action and immune response in organotypic glioma microenvironment, 2023. e-Pub 2023.
- Sharma P, K Mahadevan LS, Argall A, Xu J, Sampath D, Puduvalli V. EXTH-54. Enhanced sensitivity of human glioma cells for temozolomide (tmz) by combining therapy with heat shock protein 90, Neuro-Oncology, Volume 22, Issue Supplement_2, 2022. e-Pub 2022.
- Sharma P, Ghose J, Coss C, Bennett C, Raval RR, Puduvalli V. Preclinical characterization of OSU- ERb-12, a novel ERβ agonist in Glioblastoma [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2022, 2022. e-Pub 2022.
- Sharma P, Senapedis W, Baloglu E, Puduvalli VK. Inducing Mitochondrial Oxidative Stress and Targeting Cellular Stress Response by Inhibition of NAMPT, the Rate Limiting Enzyme in the NAD+ Salvage Pathway in Glioma. Neuro-Oncology 20, 2022. e-Pub 2022.
- Sharma, Pratibha, Xu J, Huo L, Ju Z, Li Z, Ban K, Landesman Y, Sampath D, Puduvalli AV. TMET-30. ENHANCED RADIOSENSITIZATION OF GLIOMAS BY METABOLIC TARGETING OF SALVAGE PATHWAY OF NAD SYNTHESIS THROUGH NAMPT INHIBITION||, 2022. e-Pub 2022.
- Sharma, Pratibha, Xu J, Chen X, Huo L, Ju Z, Li Z, Ban K, Seah E, Sampath D, Puduvalli AV. EXTH-67. PRECLINICAL ASSESSMENT OF THE EFFICACY OF MPT0B640, AN ORALLY BIOAVAILABLE SMALL MOLECULE HSP90 INHIBITOR, AGAINST GLIOMAS.", 2022. e-Pub 2022.
- Sharma P, Puduvalli V. DDRE-27. Metabolic switching as a mechanism of drug resistance against nampt inhibition in gliomas, Neuro-Oncology, Volume 23, Issue Supplement_6, 2021. e-Pub 2021.
- Sharma, P, Senapedis, W, Sampath, D, Puduvalli. Reversing the warburg effect by targeting nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT), the rate-limiting enzyme of nad (+) salvage pathway increases, chemo sensitivity to temozolomide in glioma cells, 2019. e-Pub 2019.
- Mitchell, Renee S, Grieselhuber N, Asemelash Y, Cannon M, Orwick S, Sharma P. Virginia Goettl et al. "NAMPT Inhibitor KPT-9274 Selectively Targets Self-Renewal Capacity in Acute Myeloid Leukemia, 2018. e-Pub 2018.
- Sharma P, Kesanakurti D, Wu P, Xu J, Sampath D, Senapedis W, Baloglu E, K Puduvalli AV. "Exth-84. Targeting the Salvage Pathway of Nad+ Generation In Gliomas By Kpt-9274, A Novel Dual Inhibitor Of PAK4 And NAMPT.", 2017. e-Pub 2017.
Patient Reviews
CV information above last modified July 22, 2026