Ajay P. Singh, PhD
Professor
Department:
SOM-Cell and Molecular Biology
Email:
asingh1@umc.edu
Work Phone:
(601) 815-6850
Biography
Dr. Ajay Singh is a tenured Professor of Cell and Molecular Biology in the School of Medicine at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. He is also the Associate Director of Basic and Translational Research at the Cancer Center and Research Institute. His laboratory focuses on the identification of novel tumor-associated genes and how they impact the behavior of the tumor cells. His lab is also interested in understanding how the tumor cells communicate with its surroundings to become more aggressive and therapy resistant and if targeting of these tumor-stromal interactions could be exploited for cancer prevention and therapy. Another focus is to understand the molecular dissimilarities in tumors from patients of different racial and ethnic backgrounds and investigate their roles in disparate clinical outcomes. He has published extensively, holds multiple US patents, and is a co-founder of a small Biotech company, Tatva Biosciences. He has received numerous honors and awards for his scientific and scholarly accomplishments and has received funding from major federal agencies including NIH, DOD, and NSF, as well as from the state health departments and private foundations. He also actively serves on national and international grant study sections and is a member of the editorial boards of several scientific journals.
Education
| Devi Ahilya University, PhD, Life Science | 2002 |
| Aligarh Muslim University, MS, Biotechnology | 1994 |
| Aligarh Muslim University, BS, Zoology (honours) | 1992 |
Current Positions
| Associate Director of Basic and Translational Research, School of Medicine, Department of Cancer Center and Research Institute | 07/2024 - Present |
| Professor, School of Medicine, Department of Cell and Molecular Biology | 07/2024 - Present |
| The University of Mississippi Medical Center Jackson, Mississippi 39216 | |
Academic Appointments or Other Previous Appointments
| Professor, University of Southa Alabama, School of Medicine, Department of Pathology | 05/2019 - 07/2024 |
| Division Director, University of South Alabama, School of Medicine, Department of Pathology | 05/2019 - 07/2024 |
| Program Leader, Cancer Biology and Cancer Health Disparities, Mitchell Cancer Institute, University of South Alabama, School of Medicine | 08/2016 - 07/2024 |
| Professor, Mitchell Cancer Institute, University of South ALabama, School of Medicine, Department of Oncologic Science | 08/2016 - 07/2019 |
| Associate Professor, University of South Alabama, School of Medicine, Department of Oncologic Science | 08/2014 - 08/2016 |
| Associate Professor, University of South Alabama, School of Medicine, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology | 08/2014 - 08/2016 |
| Assistant Professor, University of South Alabama, Department of Oncologic Science | 06/2009 - 08/2014 |
| Assistant Professor, University of Nebraska Medical Center, School of Medicine, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology | 2006 - 05/2009 |
Sponsored Program Funding
| Extramural, Unfolding a novel mechanism for endocrine resistance in breast cancer, Breast Cancer research foundation of Alabama (BCRFA) | 01/2024 - 12/2024 |
| Extramural, Signaling Interplay underlying prostate cancer racial disparity, Department of Defense | 09/2023 - 08/2026 |
| Extramural, Influence of stress on immune landscape and spatial heterogeneity of breast cancer, Breast Cancer research foundation of Alabama (BCRFA) | 01/2023 - 12/2024 |
| Extramural, Impact of nicotine exposure on prostate cancer progression and clinical outcome, Department of Defense | 09/2022 - 08/2025 |
| Extramural, Racial disparity and cervical cancer prevention by epigenome monitoring, Elsa U. Pardee Foundation | 01/2022 - 07/2024 |
| Extramural, Impact of social factors on the biology of breast cancer, National Institutes of Health | 07/2019 - 06/2025 |
| Extramural, A novel Molecular crosstalk driving pancreatic cancer progression, National Institutes of Health | 01/2018 - 12/2024 |
| Extramural, Molecular determinant of racial disparity in ovarian cancer (diversity supplement), National Institutes of Health | 05/2017 - 04/2019 |
| Extramural, Targeting Tumor-Stromal Interaction for Pancreatic Cancer Therapy (diversity supplement), National Institutes of Health | 08/2016 - 12/2020 |
| Extramural, Establishment of cancer cell lines for advancing ovarian cancer health disparity research, National Institutes of Health | 07/2016 - 08/2017 |
| Extramural, Molecular causes and mechanistic underpinning of breast cancer racial disparity, National Institutes of Health | 06/2016 - 05/2023 |
| Extramural, Tumor-stromal molecular cross-talk in prostate cancer, Alabama Department of Public Health | 12/2014 - 11/2015 |
| Extramural, Molecular determinant of racial disparity in prostate cancer, National Institutes of Health | 05/2014 - 04/2021 |
| Extramural, Targeting tumor-stromal interaction for pancreatic cancer therapy, National Institutes of Health | 05/2014 - 12/2020 |
| Extramural, Silver nanoparticles in skin cancer chemoprevention, National Institutes of Health | 04/2014 - 03/2017 |
| Intramural, Chemo-preventive activity of novel silver nanoparticle formulation against skin cancer, University of South ALabama | 10/2013 - 09/2016 |
| Intramural, Exploring the role of miR-193a in melanoma pathogenesis, University of Soth Alabama | 04/2013 - 03/2014 |
| Extramural, ETV4 in Pancreatic Cancer, National Institutes of Health | 07/2012 - 06/2014 |
| Extramural, MYB, a key driver of pancreatic cancer progression and metastasis, National Institutes of Health | 04/2012 - 03/2015 |
| Extramural, A novel mechanism of docetaxel resistance in prostate cancer, Department of Defense | 03/2012 - 02/2014 |
| Extramural, MicroRNAs in Pancreatic Cancer, National Institutes of Health | 07/2009 - 06/2012 |
| Extramural, Protein phosphatase 2A signaling in prostate cancer, Department of Defense | 02/2009 - 05/2014 |
| Extramural, Regulation of MUC4 mucin, Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services | 07/2008 - 05/2009 |
| Extramural, Role of MUC4 mucin in Lung Cancer, Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services | 07/2007 - 05/2008 |
Directed Student Learning
| Dissertation Committee Chair |
Fellows supervised
| Cancer Biology, Post-Doc Advisor, 14 fellows supervised |