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Information about : School Staff : Academic Staff : Prof. Arunasalam Dharmarajan Profile

 

Arunasalam Dharmarajan

Professor Arunasalam Dharmarajan

Born in India. B.Sc and M.Sc from the University of Madras, PhD in Reproductive Endocrinology from the University of Western Australia, Perth.
After time at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA , Dharma came to UWA in 1995 and was promoted to Professor in 2001.

 

More Information

Publication List
Personal Website
Research Group
   
Contact Details
Postal Address
E-mail: Arunasalam.Dharmarajan@uwa.edu.au
Telephone:* 6488 2981
Facsimile:* 6488 1051

 

*If calling from outside Australia,use prefix +61 8; if calling from within Australia, use prefix +08.

 Research Interests

Dharma's research interest is built around a quest to understand how individual cells of the body die, a small but key event underlying many diseases, including cancer. His work during the last several years has delineated many components of the apoptotic process and signalling mechanisms.

Dharma's group is particularly interested in identifying genes involved in the control and execution of apoptosis. His laboratory have cloned several cell death/survival genes and currently his group is investigating their role in ovarian, breast, mesothelioma and skin cancers.

Dharma's Molecular Apoptosis Group consists of 6 Ph.D, 3 Hons students, a postdoctoral fellow and a research assaistnat and his work to date has made significant progress in understanding how apoptosis plays a key role in tumour formation and regression.

Collaborators include, Prof Bob Friis (Switzerland), Dr. Simon Fox and Prof Mike Garlepp (Curtain University), Professor JoAnne Richards (Baylor College of Medicine, USA), Dr. Diane Keeney (Vanderbilt University, Nashville, USA) and Professor Fiona Wood (Royal Perth Hospital, WA).

Dharma has have received numerous invitations to speak at National and International Meetings and served in the editorial boards of several international journals.

 

lymphoid tissue

 

electrophoresis gels featuring DNA or RNA

Current Projects

Molecular mechanisms of apoptosis in cancer. Role of novel antiangiogenic molecule in cancer therapy

Funding

His research work is supported by grants from NH&MRC, UWA (Small), Raine Medical Foundation and Cancer Council, WA.

 Memberships

American Association of Cancer Research
Endocrine Society, USA
Society for Study of Reproduction, USA
Australian Society for Reproductive Biology
Endocrine Society of Australia

 Key Publications

  1. Spalding, K.L., Cui, Q., Dharmarajan, A.M. and Harvey, A.R. (2006) Injury-induced retinal ganglion cell loss in the neonatal rat retina. In: Retinal Degenerative Diseases edited by Joe G. Hollyfield, Robert E. Anderson, and Matthew M. LaVail. Springer, New York, NY, Chapter 62, 447-451.
  2. Feng, HQ., Shearwood, AM., Ying, ZW., Zeps, N., Joseph, D., Iacopetta, B. and Dharmarajan, A. (2006). Expression of Secreted Frizzled-Related Protein 4 (sFRP-4) and Beta-Catenin in Colorectal Carcinoma. Cancer Letters , 231(1):129-137.
  3. Fox, S. and Dharmarajan A. (2006). Wnt Signalling in Malignant Mesothelioma. Frontiers in Bioscience, 11, 2106-2112. 
  4. Lareu, RR., Lacher, MD., Friis, RR. and Dharmarajan A. (2006). Cloning and characterization of a novel zinc finger protein (rZFP96) in the rat corpus luteum. Biochemica and Biophysica Acta- Gene Structure and Expression . 1732(1-3):69-75. Epub 2005 Dec 29
  5. Hampel, J.K., Brownrigg, L.M., Vignarajah, D., Croft, K.D., Dharmarajan, A., Bentel, J., Puddey, I.B., and Yeap, B.B. (2006). Differential modulation of cell cycle, apoptosis and PPARgamma 2 gene expression by PPAR gamma agonists ciglitazone and 9-hydroxyoctadecadienoic acid in monocytic cells. Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes & Essential Fatty Acids, 74, 283-293.
  6. Vijayababu, MR., Kanagaraj, P., Arunkumar, A., Illangovan, R., Dharmarajan, A. and Arunakaran, J. (2006). Quercetin induces p53-independent apoptosis in human prostate cancer cells by modulating Bcl-2-related proteins: A possible mediation by IGFBP-3. Oncology Research, 16(2), 67-74.
  7. Hewitt, DP., Mark, P., Dharmarajan, A. and Waddell, BJ. (2006). Placental expression of secreted frizzled related protein-4 in rat and the impact of glucocorticoid-induced fetal and placental growth restriction. Biology of Reproduction (Epub, March 15, 2006).
  8. White, L., Dharmarajan A. and Charles A. (2006). Caspase-14: A new player in cytotrophoblast differentiation. RBM Online (in press; 7/10/06).
  9. Mahoney, S., Hisheh, S., Millward, M., Brown,D. and Dharmarajan, A. (2007). Effects of phenoxodiol on cell proliferation and apoptosis in androgen dependent prostate cancer. Cancer Biology and Therapy (submitted)
  10. Mahoney, S., Berry, C., Hisheh, S. and Dharmarajan, A. (2007). X-Linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein expression and chemoresistance in ovarian cancer. Reproductive Bio Medicine(submitted)
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