Nirakar Rajbhandari, PhD
Assistant Professor
Department:
SOM-Cell and Molecular Biology
Email:
nrajbhandari@umc.edu
Work Phone:
(601) 984-1702
Biography
Dr. Nirakar Rajbhandari did his Ph.D in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the University of Nebraska Medical Center, and postdoctoral training in Cancer Biology from University of California San Diego. Dr. Rajbhandari has over 15 years of research experience in molecular biology and cancer biology. He has extensive expertise in genetic engineering of mouse models, functional genomics, spatial transcriptomics and organoid systems. His research focuses on modeling pancreatic cancer, identifying new vulnerabilities and defining mechanisms that drive aggressive behavior and therapy resistance in Pancreatic Cancer. His prior research has uncovered novel drivers of pancreatic cancer growth and metastasis, including HMMR and MICAL2. He has helped map the evolution of diverse pancreatic cancer subtypes. His research has been published in leading journals such as Cancer Cell, Cell, Cell Reports, Nature Communications, Cancer Research and eLife. Recently, Dr. Rajbhandari has been awarded with a highly prestigious K22 Career Development Award from the National Cancer to support his transition to independence and advance his work on understanding mechanisms pancreatic cancer growth and metastasis. In addition to his scientific accomplishments, Dr. Rajbhandari has been an active mentor and leader. He has served as co-vice chair and interim chair of the UC San Diego Postdoctoral Association and has contributed to numerous scientific outreach and peer reviews.
Dr. Rajbhandari and his laboratory is always open to enthusiastic trainees, philanthropists and scientists for exciting collaborative opportunities.
Education
| University of Nebraska Medical Center, PhD, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology | 2016 |
Sponsored Program Funding
| Extramural, Extracellular Matrix Receptor in Pancreatic Cancer Growth and Metastasis., National Cancer Institute | 09/2026 - 08/2029 |
Publications
Journal Article | |
| Barber AG, Quintero CM, Hamilton M, Rajbhandari N, Sasik R, Zhang Y, Kim C, Husain H, Sun X, Reya T, Regulation of lung cancer initiation and progression by the stem cell determinant Musashi. eLife, 2025 Mar 6;13 | 2025 |
| Garg B, Khan S, Courelli AS, Panneerpandian P, Sheik Pran Babu D, Mose ES, Gulay KCM, Sharma S, Sood D, Wenzel AT, Martsinkovskiy A, Rajbhandari N, Patel J, Jaquish D, Esparza E, Jaque K, Aggarwal N, Lambies G, D'Ippolito A, Austgen K, Johnston B, Orlando DA, Jang GH, Gallinger S, Goodfellow E, Brodt P, Commisso C, Tamayo P, Mesirov JP, Tiriac H, Lowy AM, MICAL2 Promotes Pancreatic Cancer Growth and Metastasis. Cancer research, 2025 Mar 14;85(6):1049-1063 | 2025 |
| Rajbhandari N, Diaz E, Kritzik M, Reya T, Imaging Approaches in Cancer Biology. Cold Spring Harbor perspectives in medicine, 2024 Sep 3;14(9) | 2024 |
| Shrestha H, Rädler PD, Dennaoui R, Wicker MN, Rajbhandari N, Sun Y, Peck AR, Vistisen K, Triplett AA, Beydoun R, Sterneck E, Saur D, Rui H, Wagner KU, The Janus kinase 1 is critical for pancreatic cancer initiation and progression. Cell reports, 2024 May 28;43(5):114202 | 2024 |
| Rajbhandari N, Hamilton M, Quintero CM, Ferguson LP, Fox R, Schürch CM, Wang J, Nakamura M, Lytle NK, McDermott M, Diaz E, Pettit H, Kritzik M, Han H, Cridebring D, Wen KW, Tsai S, Goggins MG, Lowy AM, Wechsler-Reya RJ, Von Hoff DD, Newman AM, Reya T, Single-cell mapping identifies MSI(+) cells as a common origin for diverse subtypes of pancreatic cancer. Cancer cell, 2023 Nov 13;41(11):1989-2005.e9 | 2023 |
| Ferguson LP, Gatchalian J, McDermott ML, Nakamura M, Chambers K, Rajbhandari N, Lytle NK, Rosenthal SB, Hamilton M, Albini S, Wartenberg M, Zlobec I, Galván JA, Karamitopoulou E, Vavinskaya V, Wascher A, Lowy AM, Schürch CM, Puri PL, Bruneau BG, Hargreaves DC, Reya T, Smarcd3 is an epigenetic modulator of the metabolic landscape in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Nature communications, 2023 Jan 18;14(1):292 | 2023 |
| Lenkiewicz E, Malasi S, Hogenson TL, Flores LF, Barham W, Phillips WJ, Roesler AS, Chambers KR, Rajbhandari N, Hayashi A, Antal CE, Downes M, Grandgenett PM, Hollingsworth MA, Cridebring D, Xiong Y, Lee JH, Ye Z, Yan H, Hernandez MC, Leiting JL, Evans RM, Ordog T, Truty MJ, Borad MJ, Reya T, Von Hoff DD, Fernandez-Zapico ME, Barrett MT, Genomic and Epigenomic Landscaping Defines New Therapeutic Targets for Adenosquamous Carcinoma of the Pancreas. Cancer research, 2020 Oct 15;80(20):4324-4334 | 2020 |
| Lytle NK, Ferguson LP, Rajbhandari N, Gilroy K, Fox RG, Deshpande A, Schürch CM, Hamilton M, Robertson N, Lin W, Noel P, Wartenberg M, Zlobec I, Eichmann M, Galván JA, Karamitopoulou E, Gilderman T, Esparza LA, Shima Y, Spahn P, French R, Lewis NE, Fisch KM, Sasik R, Rosenthal SB, Kritzik M, Von Hoff D, Han H, Ideker T, Deshpande AJ, Lowy AM, Adams PD, Reya T, A Multiscale Map of the Stem Cell State in Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma. Cell, 2019 Apr 18;177(3):572-586.e22 | 2019 |
| Rajbhandari N, Lin WC, Wehde BL, Triplett AA, Wagner KU, Autocrine IGF1 Signaling Mediates Pancreatic Tumor Cell Dormancy in the Absence of Oncogenic Drivers. Cell reports, 2017 Feb 28;18(9):2243-2255 | 2017 |
| Sakamoto K, Wehde BL, Yoo KH, Kim T, Rajbhandari N, Shin HY, Triplett AA, Rädler PD, Schuler F, Villunger A, Kang K, Hennighausen L, Wagner KU, Janus Kinase 1 Is Essential for Inflammatory Cytokine Signaling and Mammary Gland Remodeling. Molecular and cellular biology, 2016 Jun 1;36(11):1673-90 | 2016 |
| Lin WC, Rajbhandari N, Wagner KU, Cancer cell dormancy in novel mouse models for reversible pancreatic cancer: a lingering challenge in the development of targeted therapies. Cancer research, 2014 Apr 15;74(8):2138-43 | 2014 |
| Lin WC, Rajbhandari N, Liu C, Sakamoto K, Zhang Q, Triplett AA, Batra SK, Opavsky R, Felsher DW, DiMaio DJ, Hollingsworth MA, Morris JP 4th, Hebrok M, Witkiewicz AK, Brody JR, Rui H, Wagner KU, Dormant cancer cells contribute to residual disease in a model of reversible pancreatic cancer. Cancer research, 2013 Mar 15;73(6):1821-30 | 2013 |
Honors, Awards, and Recognition
| The NCI Transition Career Development Award (K22), National Cancer Institute | 2026 |
| UCSD Academic Senate Grant, University of California San Diego | 2024 |
| TRDRP Postdoctoral Research Fellowship, TRDRP Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Tobacco Related Disease Research Program | 2019 |
| Graduate Student Fellowship, University of Nebraska Medical Center | 2012 |
| Dean's List Award, Pokhara University | 2008 |
Professional Membership and Service
| Cancer Center Research Institute, Member | 2026 - Present |
| American Gastroenterological Association, Member | 2026 - Present |
| American Association for Cancer Research, Member | 2013 - Present |