Sadhan Majumder, Ph.D.
Department of Genetics, Division of Discovery Science
About Dr. Sadhan Majumder
Dr. Majumder completed his predoctoral schooling at Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics in India and received his Ph.D. from New York University. He subsequently completed his postdoctoral training at Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and at Roche Institute of Molecular Biology. He joined The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center as an Assistant Professor and was promoted to his current position as Professor in 2006. His current research involves deciphering the mechanisms that control normal brain functions and how aberrations in these mechanisms causes diseased states such as cancer and neurodegenerative disorders. Dr. Majumder has a strong interest in teaching. In addition to leading a lab with undergraduate, graduate, postdoctoral and clinical fellows, he teaches at the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and organizes a biennial course at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratories on Brain Tumors. Dr. Majumder has received many awards including M. D. Anderson Fort Worth Living Legend Faculty Achievement Award, National Brain Tumor Society Chaiken Chair of Research Award, and B*CURED Research Award.
Present Title & Affiliation
Primary Appointment
Professor, Genetics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
Research Interests
The research in my laboratory focuses on: (1) deciphering the mechanisms that regulate normal development and determining how their dysregulation leads to disease; and (2) translating this knowledge into improved patient care. We employ a multidisciplinary approach encompassing genomics, bioinformatics, biochemistry, cell biology, and mouse genetics. Our work involves close collaboration between basic scientists and clinicians and encompasses the following major areas:
- Stemness in normal stem cells and brain tumors
- Cellular lineage plasticity
- Neurotransmitter regulation in the brain
- Neuropathic pain
Honors & Awards
| 2016 | Toastmaster Communication and Leadership Award (from the general community) |
| 2010 | Elected Fellow of the Indian Society of Agricultural Biochemists |
| 2009 | National Brain Tumor Society Chaiken Chair of Research |
| 2008 | MDACC Fort Worth Living Legend Faculty Achievement Award in Basic Research, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center |
| 2001 | Katie's Kids for the Cure Award |
| 2000 | Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation of the United States Award |
| 1985 - 1987 | Exxon Postdoctoral Fellowship |
| 1979 - 1985 | Public Health Research Institute predoctoral research fellowship |
Grant & Contract Support
| Date: | 2027 - 2032 |
| Title: | Role of Stem-Like and Progenitor-Like Cell Populations in Glioblastoma |
| Funding Source: | NIH |
| Role: | PI |
| ID: | 1R01CA322583-01 |
| Date: | 2027 - 2030 |
| Title: | Novel Molecular Stratification of Glioblastoma for Improved Prognosis and Precision Therapeutic Approaches |
| Funding Source: | EBRAP (CDMRP) |
| Role: | PI |
| ID: | PR260127 (Pre-Application) |
| Date: | 2026 - 2029 |
| Title: | Aberrant Neurogenesis Repressor REST Drives Neural Identity Loss and Circuit-Level Signaling in Malignant Glioma-like Tumors |
| Funding Source: | CPRIT |
| Role: | PI |
| ID: | RP270027 |
| Date: | 2026 - 2031 |
| Title: | Aberrant Neurogenesis Repressor REST Drives Neural Identity Loss and Circuit-Level Signaling in Malignant Glioma-like Tumors |
| Funding Source: | NIH |
| Role: | PI |
| ID: | R01NS153417-01 |
| Date: | 2026 - 2031 |
| Title: | Transcriptional Regulation of Sensory Neuron Dysfunction in Chemotherapy-Induced Neuropathic Pain |
| Funding Source: | NIH |
| Role: | PI |
| ID: | R01CA321019-01 |
| Date: | 2024 - 2026 |
| Title: | Development of murine glioblastoma model for oncolytic HSV therapy |
| Funding Source: | NIH NS128191 |
| Role: | Co-I |
| Date: | 2023 - 2025 |
| Title: | CD44 signaling in regulating glioblastoma stemness and immune response |
| Funding Source: | NIH NS130429 |
| Role: | Co-I |
| Date: | 2020 - 2026 |
| Title: | New Therapeutic Approaches for Stratified High-REST GBM Subtype |
| Funding Source: | NIH/NINDS |
| Role: | PI |
| ID: | R01 NS119162 |
| Date: | 2020 - 2027 |
| Title: | REST-mediated regulation of opioid receptors in chronic pain mouse models |
| Funding Source: | NIH/NIDA |
| Role: | PI |
| ID: | R61/R33 DA049334 |
| Date: | 2019 - 2024 |
| Title: | REST-mediated epigenomic and transcriptomic signatures in neuropathic pain |
| Funding Source: | NIH/NCI |
| Role: | PI |
| ID: | R01 NS112280 |
| Date: | 2017 - 2019 |
| Title: | Host Age Impacts Specific GBM Subtype |
| Funding Source: | B*CURED Grant |
| Role: | PI |
| Date: | 2012 - 2016 |
| Title: | Implications of a Novel Glioblastoma Classification Defined by miR-21-Sox2 Status |
| Funding Source: | NIH/NCI |
| Role: | PI |
| ID: | R01 NS081684 |
| Date: | 2012 - 2013 |
| Title: | Role of miR-21-Sox2 Axis in Glioblastoma |
| Funding Source: | NIH/NCI |
| Role: | Project Leader |
| ID: | P50 CA127001 |
| Date: | 2011 - 2012 |
| Title: | A Novel Mechanism Based Therapeutic Approach for Glioblastoma |
| Funding Source: | NIH/NCI |
| Role: | Project Leader |
| ID: | 5P50CA 127001-04 |
| Date: | 2008 - 2010 |
| Title: | Novel Mechanism of Glioblastoma Tumorigenesis and Therapy |
| Funding Source: | Brain Tumor Society Grant |
| Role: | PI |
| Date: | 2007 - 2011 |
| Title: | Role of stem-like cells in glioblastoma tumorigenesis |
| Funding Source: | MDACC Multidisciplinary Research Program |
| Role: | PI |
| Date: | 2005 - 2008 |
| Title: | New mechanisms of and mouse models for medulloblastoma |
| Funding Source: | NIH/NCI |
| Role: | PI |
| ID: | R01 CA97124-04S1 (Supplementary grant to CA97124) |
| Date: | 2002 - 2004 |
| Title: | Role of REST/NRSF as a direct therapeutic target for medulloblastoma |
| Funding Source: | Goodwin Fund |
| Role: | PI |
| Date: | 2002 - 2015 |
| Title: | REST/NRSF-mediated medulloblastoma tumorigenesis |
| Funding Source: | NIH/NCI |
| Role: | PI |
| ID: | R01 CA097124 (Includes Renewal) |
| Date: | 1999 - 2013 |
| Title: | Transcription factor REST/NRSF in Medulloblastoma |
| Funding Source: | NIH/NCI |
| Role: | PI |
| ID: | R01 CA81255 (Includes Renewal) |
| Date: | 1996 - 2002 |
| Title: | Mechanism of enhancer function in mouse embryos/oocytes |
| Funding Source: | NIH/NCI |
| Role: | PI |
| ID: | R01 GM53454 |
Selected Publications
Peer-Reviewed Articles
- Tiwari, A, Subedi, A, Etemad, A, Huang, Y, Chatterjee, B, McLeod, SM, Lu, Y, Song, EM, Gonzalez, DA, Singh, S, Lee, JJ, Pan, H, Majumder, S. Sex differences in nerve injury-induced neuropathic pain via REST in primary sensory neurons. Neurobiology of Pain 20, 2026. e-Pub 2026. PMID: 42169728.
- Subedi, A, Etemad, A, Tiwari, A, Huang, Y, Chatterjee, B, McLeod, SM, Lu, Y, Gonzalez, DA, Ghosh, K, Sirito, M, Singh, S, Ruiz, E, Grimm, SL, Coarfa, C, Pan, H, Majumder, S. Nerve injury inhibits Oprd1 and Cnr1 transcription through REST in primary sensory neurons. Scientific reports 14(1), 2024. e-Pub 2024. PMID: 39496614.
- Marisetty A, Lu L, Veo B, Liu B, Coarfa C, Kamal M, Kassem D, Irshad K, Lu Y, Gumin J, Henry V, Paulucci-Holthauzen A, Rao G, Lang F, Fuller F, Majumder S. REST-DRD2 mechanism impacts glioblastoma stem cell-mediated tumorigenesis. Neuro-Oncology 21(16):775-785, 2019. e-Pub 2019. PMID: 30953587.
- Lu L, Marisetty A, Liu B, Kamal MM, Gumin J, Veo B, Cai Y, Kassem D, Weng C, Maynard M, Hood K, Fuller G, Pan Z, Cykowski MD, Dash P, Majumder S. REST overexpression in mice causes deficits in spontaneous locomotion. Sci Rep 8(1):12083, 2018. e-Pub 2018. PMID: 30108242.
- Marisetty AL, Singh SK, Nguyen TN, Coarfa C, Liu B, Majumder S. REST represses miR-124 and miR-203 to regulate distinct oncogenic properties of glioblastoma stem cells. Neuro Oncol 19(4):514-523, 2017. e-Pub 2017. PMID: 28040710.
- Alvarado AG, Turaga SM, Sathyan P, Mulkearns-Hubert EE, Otvos B, Silver DJ, Hale JS, Flavahan WA, Zinn PO, Sinyuk M, Li M, Guda MR, Velpula KK, Tsung AJ, Nakano I, Vogelbaum MA, Majumder S, Rich JN, Lathia JD. Coordination of self-renewal in glioblastoma by integration of adhesion and microRNA signaling. Neuro Oncol 18(5):656-66, 2016. e-Pub 2016. PMID: 26374689.
- Sathyan P, Zinn PO, Marisetty AL, Liu B, Kamal MM, Singh SK, Bady P, Lu L, Wani KM, Veo BL, Gumin J, Kassem DH, Robinson F, Weng C, Baladandayuthapani V, Suki D, Colman H, Bhat KP, Sulman EP, Aldape K, Colen RR, Verhaak RG, Lu Z, Fuller GN, Huang S, Lang FF, Sawaya R, Hegi M, Majumder S. Mir-21-Sox2 Axis Delineates Glioblastoma Subtypes with Prognostic Impact. J Neurosci 35(45):15097-112, 2015. e-Pub 2015. PMID: 26558781.
- Alvarado AG, Turaga SM, Sathyan P, Mulkearns-Hubert EE, Otvos B, Silver DJ, Hale JS, Flavahan WA, Zinn PO, Sinyuk M, Li M, Guda MR, Velpula KK, Tsung AJ, Nakano I, Vogelbaum MA, Majumder S, Rich JN, Lathia JD. Coordination of self-renewal in glioblastoma by integration of adhesion and microRNA signaling. Neuro Oncol. e-Pub 2015. PMID: 26374689.
- Singh SK, Marisetty A, Sathyan P, Kagalwala M, Zhao Z, Majumder S. REST-miR-21-SOX2 axis maintains pluripotency in E14Tg2a.4 embryonic stem cells. Stem Cell Res 15(2):305-311. e-Pub 2015. PMID: 26209818.
- Xue J, Chen Y, Wu Y, Wang Z, Zhou A, Zhang S, Lin K, Aldape K, Majumder S, Lu Z, Huang S. Tumour suppressor TRIM33 targets nuclear β-catenin degradation. Nat Commun 6:6156, 2015. e-Pub 2015. PMID: 25639486.
- Jiang Y, Wang Y, Wang T, Hawke DH, Zheng Y, Li X, Zhou Q, Majumder S, Bi E, Liu DX, Huang S, Lu Z. PKM2 phosphorylates MLC2 and regulates cytokinesis of tumour cells. Nat Commun 5:5566, 2014. e-Pub 2014. PMID: 25412762.
- Kamal MM, Sathyan P, Singh SK, Zinn PO, Marisetty AL, Liang S, Gumin J, El-Mesallamy HO, Suki D, Colman H, Fuller GN, Lang FF, Majumder S. REST regulates oncogenic properties of glioblastoma stem cells. Stem Cells 30(3):405-14. doi:10.1002/stem.1020, 2012. e-Pub 2012. PMID: 22228704.
- Zinn PO, Sathyan P, Mahajan B, Bruyere J, Hegi M, Majumder S, Colen RR. A Novel Volume-Age-KPS (VAK) Glioblastoma Classification Identifies a Prognostic Cognate microRNA-gene Signature. PLoS One 7(8):e41522. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0041522, 2012. e-Pub 2012. PMID: 22870228.
- Singh SK, Veo BL, Kagalwala MN, Shi W, Liang S, Majumder S. Dynamic status of REST in the mouse ESC pluripotency network. PLoS One 7(8):e43659. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0043659, 2012. e-Pub 2012. PMID: 22952733.
- Zinn PO, Majadan B, Sathyan P, Singh SK, Majumder S, Jolesz FA, and Colen RR. Radiogenomic mapping of edema/cellular invasion MRI-phenotypes in glioblastoma multiforme. PLoS One 6(10):e25451, 2011. e-Pub 2011. PMID: 21998659.
- Gopalakrishnan V, Sinnappah-Kang N, Adams H, Fuller G, Pan ZZ, and Majumder S. Myoblast-derived neuronal cells form glutamatergic neurons in the mouse cerebellum. Stem Cells 28:1839-1847, 2010. e-Pub 2010. PMID: 20799335.
- Kagalwala M, Singh S, Majumder S. Stemness is only a state of the cell. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratories Symposium on Quantitative Biology (on Stem Cells), 2009. e-Pub 2009.
- Singh S, Kagalwala M, Zhao Z, Majumder S. REST maintains self-renewal and pluripotency of embroyonic stem cells. Nature 453(7192):223-237, 2008. e-Pub 2008. PMID: 18362916.
- Su X, Gopalakrishnan V, Stearns D, Aldape K, Lang FF, Fuller G, Snyder E, Eberhart CG, Majumder S. Abnormal expression of REST/NRSF and Myc in neural stem/progenitor cells causes cerebellar tumors by blocking neuronal differentiation. Mol Cell Biol 26:1666-78, 2006. e-Pub 2006. PMID: 16478988.
- Fuller GN, Su X, Price RE, Cohen ZR, Lang FF, Sawaya R, Majumder S. Many human medulloblastoma tumors overexpress repressor element-1 silencing transcription (REST)/neuron-restrictive silencer factor, which can be functionally countered by REST-VP16. Mol Cancer Ther 4(3):343-9, 2005. e-Pub 2005. PMID: 15767543.
- Su X, Kameoka S, Lentz S, Majumder S. Activation of REST/NRSF target genes in neural stem cells is sufficient to cause neuronal differentiation. Mol Cell Biol 24(18):8018-25, 2004. e-Pub 2004. PMID: 15340064.
- Watanabe Y, Kameoka S, Gopalakrishnan V, Aldape KD, Pan ZZ, Lang FF, Majumder S. Conversion of myoblasts to physiologically active neuronal phenotype. Genes and Development 18(8):889-900, 2004. e-Pub 2004. PMID: 15078815.
- Rastelli L, Robinson K, Xu Y, Majumder S. Reconstitution of enhancer function in paternal pronuclei of one-cell mouse embryos. Mol Cell Biol 21(16):5531-40, 2001. e-Pub 2001. PMID: 11463835.
- Immaneni A, Lawinger P, Zhao Z, Lu W, Rastelli L, Morris JH, Majumder S. REST-VP16 activates multiple neuronal differentiation genes in human NT2 cells. Nucleic Acids Res 28(17):3403-10, 2000. e-Pub 2000. PMID: 10954611.
- Lawinger P, Venugopal R, Guo ZS, Immaneni A, Sengupta D, Lu W, Rastelli L, Marin Dias Carneiro A, Levin V, Fuller GN, Echelard Y, Majumder S. The neuronal repressor REST/NRSF is an essential regulator in medulloblastoma cells. Nature Medicine 6(7):826-31, 2000. e-Pub 2000. PMID: 10888935.
- Lawinger P, Rastelli L, Zhao Z, Majumder S. Lack of enhancer function in mammals is unique to oocytes and fertilized eggs. J Biol Chem 274(12):8002-11, 1999. e-Pub 1999. PMID: 10075699.
- Rastelli L, Majumder S. The role of chromatin in the establishment of enhancer function during early mouse development. Gene Therapy and Molecular Biology 3:455-64, 1999. e-Pub 1999.
- Chintala SK, Sawaya R, Aggarwal BB, Majumder S, Giri DK, Kyritsis AP, Gokaslan ZL, Rao JS. Induction of matrix metalloproteinase-9 requires a polymerized actin cytoskeleton in human malignant glioma cells. J Biol Chem 273(22):13545-51, 1998. e-Pub 1998. PMID: 9593690.
- Majumder S, Zhao Z, Kaneko K, DePamphilis ML. Developmental acquisition of enhancer function requires a unique coactivator activity. Embo J 16:1721-31, 1997. e-Pub 1997. PMID: 9130716.
- Fueyo J, Gomez-Manzano C, Yung WK, Zhang W, Lee PS, Majumder S, Perhouse M, Levin VA, Kyritsis AP. A frequent polymorphism in exon 1 of the p16/CDKN2 gene. Mol Cell Probes 9(6):465-6, 1995. e-Pub 1995. PMID: 8808318.
- Perez JR, Li Y, Stein CA, Majumder S, van Oorschot A, Narayanan R. Sequence-independent induction of Sp1 transcription factor activity by phosphorothioate oligodeoxynucleotides. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 91(13):5957-61, 1994. e-Pub 1994. PMID: 8016096.
- Majumder S, DePamphilis ML. TATA-dependent enhancer stimulation of promoter activity in mice is developmentally acquired. Mol Cell Biol 14(6):4258-68, 1994. e-Pub 1994. PMID: 8196662.
- Majumder S, Miranda M, DePamphilis ML. Analysis of gene expression in mouse preimplantation embryos demonstrates that the primary role of enhancers is to relieve repression of promoters. Embo J 12(3):1131-40, 1993. e-Pub 1993. PMID: 8458327.
- Miranda M, Majumder S, Wiekowski M, DePamphilis ML. Quantitative evaluation of promoter activity in mouse oocytes and preimplantation embryos. Meth. Enzymology 225:412-33, 1993. e-Pub 1993. PMID: 8231867.
- Majumder S, Ray P, Besmer P. Tyrosine protein kinase activity of the HZ4-feline sarcoma virus P80gag-kit-transforming protein. Oncogene Res 5:325-32, 1990. e-Pub 1990. PMID: 1697669.
- Nocka K, Majumder S, Chabot B, Ray P, Cervone M, Bernstein A, Besmer P. Expression of c-kit gene products in known cellular targets of W mutations in normal and W mutant mice--evidence for an impaired c-kit kinase in mutant mice. Genes and Development 3:816-26, 1989. e-Pub 1989. PMID: 2473008.
- Majumder S, Brown K, Qiu FH, Besmer P. c-kit protein : a transmembrane kinase - identification in tissues and characterization. Mol Cell Biol 8:4896-903, 1988. e-Pub 1988. PMID: 2463468.
- Majumder S, Novick RP. Intermediates in plasmid pT181 DNA replication. Nucleic Acids Res 16:2897-912, 1988. e-Pub 1988. PMID: 3368310.
- Manch-Citron JN, Gennaro ML, Majumder S, Novick RP. RepC is rate limiting for pT181 plasmid replication. Plasmid 16:108-15, 1986. e-Pub 1986. PMID: 3462754.
- Novick RP, Adler GK, Majumder S, Khan SA, Carleton S, Rosenblum WD, Iordanescu S. Coding sequence for the pT181 repC product: a plasmid-coded protein uniquely required for replication. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci 79:4108-12, 1982. e-Pub 1982. PMID: 6287465.
- Majumder S, Basu SR, Saha NN. Preparation and study of tissue-specific liposomes. Indian J. Biochem. Biophysics 15(2):82-89, 1978. e-Pub 1978.
Review Articles
- Majumder S. REST in good times and bad: roles in tumor suppressor and oncogenic activities. Cell Cycle 5:1929-35, 2006. e-Pub 2006. PMID: 16929174.
- Majumder S, DePamphilis ML. A unique role for enhancers is revealed during early mouse development. Bioessays 17(10):879-89, 1995. e-Pub 1995. PMID: 7487969.
- Nothias JY, Majumder S, Kaneko KJ, DePamphilis ML. Regulation of gene expression at the beginning of mammalian development. J Biol Chem 270(38):22077-80, 1995. e-Pub 1995. PMID: 7673179.
- Majumder S, DePamphilis ML. Requirements for DNA transcription and replication at the beginning of mouse development. J Cell Biochem 55(1):59-68, 1994. e-Pub 1994. PMID: 8083300.
- Bernstein A, Chabot B, Dubreuil P, Reith A, Nocka K, Majumder S, Ray P, Besmer P. The mouse W/c-kit locus. Molecular Control of Haemopoiesis 148:158-66, 1990. e-Pub 1990. PMID: 1690623.
Professional Educational Materials
- Majumder S. Mouse preimplantation embryos and oocytes as an in vivo system to study gene expression. Springer-Verlag, 1997.
Book Chapters
- Singh S, Kagalwala M, and Majumder S. MicroRNAs in stem cells and cancer stem cells. In: Springer-Verlag, 2009.
- Majumder S. Mouse preimplantation embryos and oocytes as an in vivo system to study gene expression. In: Microinjection and Transgenesis: Strategies and Protocols. Springer-Verlag, 323-349, 1997.
- Guo ZS, Wiekowski M, Majumder S, Miranda M, DePamphilis ML. Role of transcriptional elements in activating origins of replication. In: DNA Replication: The Regulatory Mechanisms. Springer-Verlag, 129-138, 1992.
Books (edited and written)
- Majumder S, Editor, Writer. Stem Cells and Cancer. Springer-Verlag, 2009.
Patient Reviews
CV information above last modified July 28, 2026