Mentor: Dudeja Vikas, MBBS, FACS

Research:

My thesis research focuses on understanding how RAGE protein regulates the tumor immune microenvironment in a pancreatic cancer model. I investigate how RAGE promotes immune evasion and tumor progression, and whether targeting RAGE can restore the anti-tumor immune response, as a potential therapeutic strategy to improve immunotherapy.

Publications:

Suresh, D. S., Salcedo-Noriega, M. F., Vaish, U., Kannan, A. B., Suryansh, S., Bhandari, S., Chatre, S., Jain, T., Dudeja, V., & Iyer, S. (2026). Cytokine Circuitry in Pancreatic Cancer: Targets for overcoming immune checkpoint inhibitor resistance in PDAC. Cytokine & Growth Factor Reviews.

Presentations:

• 2026 Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center Annual Retreat. “Contribution of RAGE Signaling to the Tumor Microenvironment Remodeling in PDAC” (poster presentation).

• 2024 O’Neal Cancer Research Retreat, UAB. “Role of RAGE in the tumor microenvironment for PDAC progression” (poster presentation).

• 2023 GBS Symposium, UAB. “Unraveling Immune Cell Diversity Through Flow Cytometry Technique" (poster presentation).