Rajasekaran Mahalingam
Department of Symptom Research, Division of Internal Medicine
About Rajasekaran Mahalingam
Dr. Raja Mahalingam holds a Ph.D. in structural biology and bioinformatics from National Tsing Hua University, Taiwan. In the early stages of his career, he delved into protein structure and dynamics under various disease conditions. However, his research trajectory eventually shifted towards transcriptomics analysis, with a focus on unraveling gene expression changes associated with disease.
In the Department of Symptom Research, Dr. Mahalingam is engaged in multiple projects. Notably, he discovered pivotal gene expression alterations in both neuronal and non-neuronal cells in mouse brains treated with doxorubicin. Also in a mouse model, he has revealed transcriptomic changes and identified crucial pathways that counter cisplatin-induced neurotoxicity. His work extends to neuropathic pain, where he has used RNA sequencing to showcase myeloid cell signatures and related pathways influencing inflammatory pain.
Given his keen interest in understanding the cellular mechanisms behind chemotherapy-induced cognitive impairment and neuropathy, Dr. Mahalingam employs bioinformatics approaches to elucidate key gene expression changes and cell type transformations. Additionally, he is interested in exploring metabolic shifts in chemotherapy-treated mouse brains and dorsal root ganglia, with the ultimate aim of identifying potential drug targets for these conditions.
Present Title & Affiliation
Primary Appointment
Assistant Professor, Department of Symptom Research, Division of Internal Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
Education & Training
Degree-Granting Education
| 2012 | National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, TWN, PHD, Structural Biology and Informatics |
| 2004 | Sathyabama University, Chennai, IND, MTech, Bioinformatics |
| 2002 | Bharathidasan University, Trichy, IND, MS, Biochemistry |
| 2000 | Bharathidasan University, Trichy, IND, BS, Nutrition and Dietetics |
Postgraduate Training
| 2014-2015 | Research Fellowship, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH |
| 2012-2013 | Research Fellowship, Genomics Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei |
Experience & Service
Academic Appointments
Principal Research Scientist, Department of Symptom Research, Division of Internal Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 2022 - 2023
Senior Research Scientist, Department of Symptom Research, Division of Internal Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 2020 - 2022
Research Associate, The University of Houston, Houston, TX, 2016 - 2020
Institutional Committee Activities
Member, Division of Internal Medicine Research Education Subcommittee, 2021 - Present
Selected Publications
Peer-Reviewed Articles
- Garrity R, Arora N, Haque MA, Weis D, Trinh RT, Neerukonda SV, Kumari S, Cortez I, Ubogu EE, Mahalingam R, Tavares-Ferreira D, Price TJ, Kavelaars A, Heijnen CJ, Shepherd AJ. Fibroblast-derived PI16 sustains inflammatory pain via regulation of CD206+ myeloid cells. Brain Behav Immun 112:220-234, 2023. e-Pub 2023. PMID: 37315702.
- Milutinovic B, Mahalingam R, Mendt M, Arroyo L, Seua A, Dharmaraj S, Shpall E, Heijnen CJ. Intranasally administered MSC-derived extracellular vesicles reverse cisplatin-induced cognitive impairment. Int J Mol Sci 24(14), 2023. e-Pub 2023. PMID: 37511623.
- Balogh M, Zhang J, Gaffney CM, Kalakuntla N, Nguyen NT, Trinh RT, Aguilar C, Pham HV, Milutinovic B, Nichols JM, Mahalingam R, Shepherd AJ. Sensory neuron dysfunction in orthotopic mouse models of colon cancer. J Neuroinflammation 19(1):204, 2022. e-Pub 2022. PMID: 35962398.
- Dharmalingam P, Mahalingam R, Yalamanchili HK, Weng T, Karmouty-Quintana H, Guha A, A Thandavarayan R. Emerging roles of alternative cleavage and polyadenylation (APA) in human disease. J Cell Physiol 237(1):149-160, 2022. e-Pub 2021. PMID: 34378793.
- McAlpin BR, Mahalingam R, Singh AK, Dharmaraj S, Chrisikos TT, Boukelmoune N, Kavelaars A, Heijnen CJ. HDAC6 inhibition reverses long-term doxorubicin-induced cognitive dysfunction by restoring microglia homeostasis and synaptic integrity. Theranostics 12(2):603-619, 2022. e-Pub 2022. PMID: 34976203.
- Singh AK, Mahalingam R, Squillace S, Jacobson KA, Tosh DK, Dharmaraj S, Farr SA, Kavelaars A, Salvemini D, Heijnen CJ. Targeting the A3 adenosine receptor to prevent and reverse chemotherapy-induced neurotoxicities in mice. Acta Neuropathol Commun 10(1):11, 2022. e-Pub 2022. PMID: 35093182.
- Khan S, Mahalingam R, Sen S, Martinez-Ledesma E, Khan A, Gandy K, Lang FF, Sulman EP, Alfaro-Munoz KD, Majd NK, Balasubramaniyan V, de Groot JF. Intrinsic interferon signaling regulates the cell death and mesenchymal phenotype of glioblastoma stem cells. Cancers (Basel) 13(21), 2021. e-Pub 2021. PMID: 34771447.
- Chiang ACA, Seua AV, Singhmar P, Arroyo LD, Mahalingam R, Hu J, Kavelaars A, Heijnen CJ. Bexarotene normalizes chemotherapy-induced myelin decompaction and reverses cognitive and sensorimotor deficits in mice. Acta Neuropathol Commun 8(1):193, 2020. e-Pub 2020. PMID: 33183353.
Grant & Contract Support
| Title: | STAT3 Signaling to Promote Recovery from Neuropathic Pain |
| Funding Source: | Department of Defense (DOD) |
| Role: | Co-Investigator |
| Title: | Validation of Fibroblast-Derived PI16 as a Novel Target for Pain Treatment |
| Funding Source: | NIH/NINDS |
| Role: | Co-Investigator |
| Title: | Regulation of Peripheral Neuropathic Pain by B Cells |
| Funding Source: | NIH/NCI |
| Role: | Principal Research Scientist |
| Title: | Neuronal regulation of nervous system cancer in neurofibromatosis-1 |
| Funding Source: | Cancer Prevention & Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) |
| Role: | Principal Research Scientist |
| Title: | Development of Pathology-activated Drugs for Treatment of Neuropathic Pain |
| Funding Source: | NIH/NCI |
| Role: | Principal Research Scientist |
Patient Reviews
CV information above last modified December 17, 2024