Dr. Alamelu (Dharini) Bharadwaj, Ph.D.

Appointments:

Research Associate, Adjunct (Faculty of Graduate Studies), Department of Pathology

Affiliations:

Department of Pathology, Dalhousie University

Research Interests:

Plasminogen-Plasmin activation, plasminogen receptors, tumor microenvironment, cancer progression and metastasis

My current and future research goals are to understand the role of plasminogen activation systems, particularly the function of plasminogen receptors, in cancer progression, immunogenic cell death and tumor immunity. As a member in Dr. David Waisman’s laboratory, as a post-doctoral fellow and now as a Research Associate, I have been engaged in understanding the physiological function of the plasminogen receptor S100A10 (p11) in tumorigenesis and metastasis. I am also interested in the contribution of the various immune cells towards plasminogen activation, to promote or attenuate anti-tumor immunity. In addition, our laboratory is interested in developing novel approaches to identifying cryptic and unknown plasminogen receptors.   

What brought you to your current institution? I moved to Dalhousie University, Halifax to pursue my post-doctoral studies.

Hometown: I grew up in Mumbai (Bombay), India.

Why are you interested in your area of research? I have been interested in Cancer Research since my undergraduate days in India. I had the opportunity to visit with the scientists and researchers at the Tata Memorial Cancer Research Institute in Mumbai, India and I was fascinated by the fundamental and clinical research conducted and decided to pursue cancer research.

Follow me on Twitter @dharbh

Involvement with BHCRI to date:

I am an Affiliate member of BHCRI since 2016. I have served as the Scientific officer and reviewer for studentships and new investigator review panels, was a member of the Annual Workshop Organizing committee, and served on both the Training Committee member (post-doctoral representative), and Communications Committee.

Email:

Alamelu.Bharadwaj@dal.ca

Publications:

Alamelu G Bharadwaj, Emma Kempster, David M Waisman (2021). The Annexin A2/S100A10 Complex: The Mutualistic Symbiosis of Two Distinct Proteins. Biomolecules (MDPI), 11(12), 1849. IF 4.964.

Alamelu G Bharadwaj, Emma Kempster, David M Waisman (2021). The ANXA2/S100A10 Complex-Regulation of the Oncogenic Plasminogen Receptor. Biomolecules (MDPI), 11 (12), 1772. IF 4.964

Alamelu G Bharadwaj, Ryan W Holloway, Victoria A Miller, David M Waisman (2021) Plasmin and plasminogen system in the tumor microenvironment: Implications for cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and therapy. Cancers (Basel), 13(8):1838. IF 6.64

Alamelu G Bharadwaj, Margaret L Dahn, Rong-Zong Liu, Patricia Colp, Lynn N Thomas, Ryan W Holloway, Paola A Marignani, Catherine Kl Too, Penelope J Barnes, Rosaline Godbout, Paola Marcato, David M Waisman (2020). S100A10 Has a Critical Regulatory Function in Mammary Tumor Growth and Metastasis: Insights Using MMTV-PyMT Oncomice and Clinical Patient Sample Analysis. Cancers (Basel),12(12):3673. IF 6.64

Ryan W. Holloway, Margaret L. Thomas, Alejandro M. Cohen, Alamelu G. Bharadwaj, Mushfiqur Rahman, Paola Marcato, Paola A. Marignani and David M. Waisman. (2018). Regulation of cell surface protease receptor S100A10 by retinoic acid therapy in acutepromyelocytic leukemia (APL). Cell Death Dis.,9(9):920. IF: 5.63

Moamen Bydoun, Andra Sterea, Ian Weaver, Alamelu Bharadwaj, and David Waisman. (2018). A novel mechanism of plasminogen activation in epithelial and mesenchymal cells. Sci Rep.,14091. IF: 4.22

Durrieu L, Bharadwaj A, Waisman DM. (2018). Analysis of the thrombotic and fibrinolytic activities of tumor cell-derived extracellular vesicles. Blood Advances. 2(10): 1054-1065. IF 6.799

Patricia A. Madureira, Alamelu G. Bharadwaj, Moamen Bydoun, Katy Garant, Paul A. O’Connell, Patrick Lee and David M. Waisman, Cell Surface Protease Activation During RAS Transformation: Critical Role of the plasminogen receptor, S100A10. Oncotarget. 2016 Jul 26;7(30):47720-47737. IF 5.168

Bharadwaj AG, Bydoun M, Holloway, RW, Waisman, DM. Annexin A2 Heterotetramer: Structure and Function. Review. Int J Mol Sci.  2013, 14(3):6259-305. IF: 3.687

Holloway RW, Bogachev O, Bharadwaj AG, McCluskey GD, Majdalawieh AF, Zhang L, Pan X and Ro H-S. Stromal AEBP1 promotes mammary gland tumourigenesis via proinflammatory and hedgehog signaling. J. Biol. Chem, 2012, 287(46): 39171-8. IF: 4.010

Recent News:

Our most recent study published in Cancers for the first time highlights the role of plasminogen receptor S100A10 in breast cancer progression and its potential as a biomarker in breast cancer (published in 2020).