Dr. Moly J. Aryankalayil, Ph.D.

Moly J. Aryankalayil, Ph.D., is a distinguished biomedical researcher and science administrator known for her groundbreaking contributions to cancer therapy and radiobiology. A leader in radiation research, she pioneered the discovery that multifractionated radiotherapy enhances immune cell-tumor interactions, particularly in prostate carcinoma cells, paving the way for combining radiotherapy with immunotherapy. She also advanced the use of mRNAs and non-coding RNAs as biomarkers, revolutionizing cancer treatment and radiotherapy. At the National Cancer Institute’s Radiation Oncology Branch, Dr. Aryankalayil developed strategies to mitigate the toxic effects of radiotherapy.

Dr. Aryankalayil earned her Ph.D. from the University of Kerala and completed postdoctoral research at the University of Florida, supported by the American Cancer Society. She further developed her expertise through postdoctoral training at the NIH’s National Eye Institute and later joined Dr. Norman Coleman's lab at NCI, where she spearheaded groundbreaking studies revealing how radiation-induced adaptive responses generate novel molecular targets for overcoming drug-resistant cancer cells. Her research spans animal and human tissues, 3D cultures, and organ-on-a-chip models, and she pioneered using microRNAs and long non-coding RNAs as biomarkers of radiation exposure.

As Principal Investigator of Radiation Biodosimetry projects funded by NIAID and BARDA, Dr. Aryankalayil has authored numerous influential publications. In 2019, she received the NCI’s Director’s Award of Merit. Currently, she oversees grant portfolios as Program Officer for the Radiation Research Program, shaping the future of cancer therapies. Her leadership is globally recognized through roles in professional societies and consultancy with the IAEA.

Selected Publications 

• Aryankalayil MJ, Haaris Patel, Jared M. May, Uma Shankavaram, Michelle A. Bylicky, Shannon Martello, Sunita Chopra, Jim Axtelle, Naresh Menon, C. Norman Coleman. Whole-blood RNA biomarkers for predicting survival in non-human primates following thoracic radiation. Sci Rep. 2024, Oct 3;14(1):22957. PMID: 39362942
• Martello S, Ueda Y, Bylicky MA, Pinney J, Dalo J, Scott KMK, Aryankalayil MJ, Coleman CN. Developing an RNA signature for radiation injury using a human liver-on-a-chip model. Radiat Res. 2024, 202(3):489-502.
• Galluzzi L, Aryankalayil MJ, Coleman CN, Formenti SC. Emerging evidence for adapting radiotherapy to immunotherapy. Nat Rev Clin Oncol. 2023 Aug;20(8):543-557.
• Aryankalayil MJ, Bylicky MA, Martello S, Chopra S, Sproull M, May JM, Shankardass A, MacMillan L, Vanpouille-Box C, Dalo J, Scott KMK, Norman Coleman C. Microarray analysis identifies coding and non-coding RNA markers of liver injury in whole body irradiated mice. Sci Rep. 2023 Jan 5;13(1):200.
• Eke I, Bylicky MA, Sandfort V, Chopra S, Martello S, Graves EE, Coleman CN, Aryankalayil MJ. The lncRNAs LINC00261 and LINC00665 are upregulated in long-term prostate cancer adaptation after radiotherapy. Mol Ther Nucleic Acids. 2021 Feb 24; 24:175-187.

Education:

• Ph.D. University of Kerala, India
• Postdoctoral Training: University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida and National Eye Institute, Bethesda, MD.
• M.Sc., University of Kerala, India
• Cytotechnology: Regional Cancer Center, Trivandrum, India.