Dr. Pataje G.S. Prasanna, Ph.D.
Dr. Pataje G.S. Prasanna, Ph.D., a Program Director at NCI, is a prominent expert in radiation biology. He manages a portfolio of grants aimed at improving radiotherapy outcomes. These grants focus on radiation-induced injury to normal tissue, radiation modulators, biomarkers, senescence, and nanotechnology. Dr. Prasanna also serves as the liaison for the collaboration between the Radiation Research Program and the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Development Center at NCI, promoting academic-industry partnerships to accelerate the clinical translation of radiation research.
Dr. Prasanna joined NCI in 2009. His career highlights include strategic roles at the Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute (AFRRI) in Bethesda, MD, where he significantly contributed to biodosimetry research and assessed doses to radiation accident victims. As a principal investigator, he established the molecular cytogenetics laboratory and was pivotal in numerous national and international radiation research efforts. Early in his career, he held a National Research Council postdoctoral fellowship at AFRRI and had faculty positions in India. At NCI, Dr. Prasanna has been instrumental in developing several strategic funding initiatives that foster innovation, research, and development in radiation biology. He has collaborated with national and international organizations, including NASA and the International Atomic Energy Agency, on radiation biology initiatives that align with NCI's broader scientific priorities. He received a Superior Service Award from the Assistant Secretary for Health and Human Services in 2018.
With numerous publications and contributions to government initiatives, Dr. Prasanna has focused on enhancing patient outcomes in radiation oncology and related fields.
Selected Publications
PGS Prasanna. Harnessing Senescence for Antitumor Immunity to Advance Cancer Treatment. Radiation Research 202: 727-733, 2024.
PGS Prasanna, MM Ahmed, JA Hong, CN Coleman. Best Practices and Novel Approaches for the Preclinical Development of Drug-Radiotherapy Combinations for Cancer Treatment. The Lancet Oncology 25: e501-e511, 2024.
PGS Prasanna, DE Citrin, J Hildesheim, MM Ahmed, S Venkatachalam, et al., Therapy-Induced Senescence: Opportunities to Improve Anticancer Therapy. JNCI: Journal of the National Cancer Institute 113: 1285-1298, 2021.
PGS Prasanna, K Rawojc, C Guha, JC Buchsbaum, JU Miszczyk, et al., Normal Tissue Injury Induced by Photon and Proton Therapies: Gaps and Opportunities. International Journal of Radiation Oncology Biology Physics 110:1325-1340, 2021.
PGS Prasanna, D Narayanan, K Hallett, EJ Bernhard, MM Ahmed, et al., Radioprotectors and Radiomitigators for Improving Radiation Therapy: the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Gateway for Accelerating Clinical Translation. Radiation Research 184: 235-248, 2015.
Education:
Ph.D. (Radiobiology), Mangalore University, India
M.Sc., (Zoology/Cell Biology), University of Mysore, India
B.Sc. (Life Sciences), Mangalore University, India