prasun-mishra
Prasun Mishra, MSc, PhD
Innovative Scientist of Health Care

Agility Pharmaceuticals
Belmont, California USA
Phone: 650-453-8087
E-mail: mishrapj@gmail.com

Education

Ph.D. in Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey
Master of Science in Life Sciences with Biotechnology as Specialization Mumbai University
B.Sc. in Zoology and Biotechnology Mumbai University

Biography

Prasun Mishra discovered the role for noncoding RNA in drug resistance and pharmacogenomics. His passion for drug development and precision medicine has led to identification of new drug targets, biomarkers, companion diagnostics, and mechanisms of action/resistance of both new and established drugs, which has facilitated development of rational drug combinations in the clinic. His distinct research/managerial experience in big pharma, government, academia, start-up & healthcare settings span multiple therapeutic areas, including oncology, inflammation, fibrosis and aging. He has expertise in diverse target classes (including enzymes, kinase, transcription factors, epigenetic & protein-protein interactions modulators) and drugs (from small molecules to biologics, including monoclonal antibodies, ADCs-antibody drug conjugates, peptides, protein degraders & natural products) as well as cell/gene/RNA based therapeutics. Moreover, discoveries lead by Dr. Mishra and his teams have contributed to the development of new and viable strategies of prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer patients in the clinic.


Research Interest

  • Oncology, inflammation, fibrosis and aging
  • Stem cells, tumor microenvironment
  • Drug discovery and development
  • Genetics, cancer genomics and bioinformatics

Scientific Activities

Professional Experience
Jan 2017 - Present Founder and CEO, Agility Pharmaceuticals, Belmont, CA
CEO, American Association for Precision Medicine (AAPM), Belmont, CA
Jan 2015 - Dec-2016 Scientist/Principal Investigator, Genentech, Biochemical and Cellular Pharmacology, SSF, CA
2009 - 2015 Principal Investigator/ Research Fellow, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
2008 - 2009 Postdoctoral Research Scientist, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
2003 - 2008 Research Teaching Specialist, Rutgers Cancer Institute of NJ, Rutgers
University, New Brunswick, NJ
2003 - 2008 Doctoral Candidate (part time, along with the full time job), Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ
2001- 2003 Research Assistant, Rutgers NJ Medical School, New Jersey
2001 – 2001 Laboratory Supervisor, Thyrocare Technologies LTD, New Mumbai, India
1999 – 2001 Research Scholar, Bhabha Atomic Research Center, Mumbai, India
Other Activities
  • Advisor: California Life Sciences Association (FAST advisory program), IndieBio and OncoTelligent. Mentor LinkedIn, Entrepreneurship and science & technology.
  • Ad-hoc reviewer: Nature, PNAS, J Clin Invest, Cancer Res, Clin Cancer Res, Human Mutation, Cancer Cell Int, Pharmacogenomics, PCMR, Stem Cells Int, J Invest Dermatol, Mol Cancer, Mol Carcinog, J Hematol Oncol, BMC Genetics, PLOS and others.
  • Editorial board memberships: Medical Sciences, Cancer & Clin Res, J Cancer Science & Res, WJ Stem Cells, Dataset Papers in Pharmacology, Dataset Papers in Biology, WJ Gastrointest Oncology; Current/past memberships: NYAS, AACR, AAAS, ASBMB, and Nature Reader Panel.
  • NIH intramural services: Involved in organizing, coordinating and judging (chief judge/lead judge/judge) FARE award committees, NIH graduate student festivals, NIH research festivals, NIH Oxford-Cambridge Scholars, MD/PhD Partnership, and the Wellcome Trust programs.
Honors and Awards
2017 Inaugural Silicon Valley Artificial Intelligence Team Award at Google Launchpad
2015 Team Award at Google Launchpad New Target Nomination Proposal, Disrupt gRED, Genentech
2014-2009 ‘Five’ Federal Technology Transfer Award, National Cancer Institute, NIH Trans-NIH Earl Stadtman Investigator Finalist, NIH
2012 Trans-NIH Earl Stadtman Investigator Finalist, NIH
2012,2010 ‘Two’ FARE Award for Research Excellence, National Institutes of Health
2011 Director’s Innovation Award, National Cancer Institute
‘Nominee’, Alexander M. Haig, Jr. Medal & Outstanding Young Investigator Award, Maryland Academy of Sciences and the Maryland Science Center
2009 Director’s Innovation Award, National Cancer Institute
Federal Technology Transfer Award, National Cancer Institute
2008 Outstanding Thesis Research Award, Rutgers University
Scholar in Training Award, American Association for Cancer Research and AstraZeneca (finalist in years 2007, 2009 & 2010, award recipient in 2008)
Cancer Research & Training Award, National Cancer Institute
Gallo Award for Outstanding Cancer Research, New Jersey Comm. on Cancer Res.
2007-2005 ‘Two’ Gallo Award for Outstanding Cancer Research, NJ State Comm. on Cancer Res
2007 Dean’s Research Award for the “best peer-reviewed publication of calendar year 2007”
The New Jersey Cancer Research Award for Scientific Excellence, NJCCR
2006-2004 ‘Three’ Young Investigator Award, Rutgers University (2006, 2005, 2004)
2002 Dean’s Travel Award, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers University
1999-2001 Bhabha Atomic Research Center Research Scholar, India

Publications

  1. Gill P, Mishra PJ, James L (2017), MicroRNA regulation of CYP 1A2, CYP3A4 and CYP2E1 expression in acetaminophen toxicity, Scientific Reports – Nature, in press.
  2. Mishra PJ$, Mishra P and Merlino G$ (2016) Integrated genomics identifies miR-32/MCL-1 pathway as a critical driver of melanomagenesis: Implications for miR-replacement and combination therapy, PLOS One 11(11): e0165102.
  3. Mishra P, Mishra PJ, Banerjee D (2016) Keratinocyte induced differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells into dermal myofibroblasts: A role in effective wound healing, Int J Transl Sci. (1): 5-32.
  4. Bansal N, Mishra PJ, Stein M, DiPaola RS, Bertino JR (2015) Axl receptor tyrosine kinase is up-regulated in metformin resistant prostate cancer cells. Oncotarget, 2015;6(17): 15321-31.
  5. Mishra PJ* Sworder B*, Yoshizawaa* S (the first three authors contributed equally to this work), Kuznetsova SA, Merlino G, […], Robey PG (2015), Molecular profile of clonal strains of human skeletal stem/progenitor cells with different potencies, Stem Cell Research, 02/2015; 9.
  6. Balakumaran A, Mishra PJ, Pawelczyk E,[…], Merlino G, Dunbar CE, Young N, Alter BP, Robey PH (2015), Bone marrow skeletal stem/ progenitor cell defects in patients with dyskeratosis congenita, a disorder of telomere maintenance, Blood, 2015 Jan 29;125(5): 793-802.
  7. Mishra PJ$ (2014) microRNAs as promising biomarkers, BMC Biomarker Research, 2014, 2: 19.
  8. Mishra PJ$ (2014) Non-coding RNAs as clinical biomarkers for cancer diagnostics and prognosis, Expert Review of Molecular Diagnostics, 14(8):917-919.
  9. Mishra PJ$ (2013) microRNA polymorphisms, Encyclopedia of Life Sciences (eLS), 15 APR, 1-10.
  10. Mishra PJ (2012) MicroRNA-drug resistance cconnection: A new era of personalized medicine using non-coding RNA begins, Pharmacogenomics, 13(12).

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