Faculty & Staff
Dr. Madhumathy G Nair
M.Sc, Ph.D
Assistant Professor
- Overview
- Projects
- Publications
- Other Contributions
Scientist with over 15 years of experience in oncology‑based translational research, and keen to explore the molecular and microenvironmental complexities that underlie cancer progression, chemoresistance, and metastasis. Dr. Madhumathy's work is rooted in an integrated approach—combining investigations on human clinical specimens with mechanistic studies in in‑vitro models—to bridge fundamental biology with clinically relevant insights. Her earlier research focused extensively on understanding epigenetic alterations in cancer, particularly the role of microRNAs in modulating phenotypic plasticity in breast cancer. Her work has examined how miRNA‑mediated pathways influence chemoresistance and metastatic behaviour, and has explored the potential of circulating DNA and microRNAs as minimally invasive biomarkers of response to therapy and tumor progression. Her current research interests have expanded to exploring tumor microenvironmental influences on epithelial cell behaviour in oral cancer. The research aims to identify the early molecular transitions that drive oral carcinogenesis by dissecting how inflammatory and fibrogenic cues shape epithelial plasticity during the dysplasia‑to‑carcinoma continuum. The focus of her research is on translational impact, interdisciplinary collaboration, nurturing the next generation of cancer researchers, and transforming biological understanding into meaningful clinical outcomes.
Qualification/ Education
- September 2012-August 2017; Ph.D in Molecular Medicine
Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences - June 2008 - May 2010; Master of Science - Biochemical Technology
Department of Biochemistry, Madurai Kamaraj University, Madurai - July 2005 - May 2008; Bachelor of Science - Biotechnology, Genetics, Biochemistry
Sri Bhagawan Mahavir Jain College, Bangalore University, Bangalore
Experience
- Assistant Professor
St. John's Research Institute
February 2024–present
Karnataka - Project Scientist II
St. John's Research Institute
August 2022-January 2024
Karnataka - DHR-ICMR Young Scientist
St. John's Research Institute
August 2019-August 2022
Karnataka - Research Associate
St. John's Research Institute
September 2017-July 2019
Karnataka - PhD student
St. John's Research Institute
September 2012-August 2017
Karnataka - Junior Research Fellow
Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology
May 2011 - Aug 2012
Kerala - Project Assistant
Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology
May 2010 - Dec 2010
Kerala
Areas of interest
Epigenetic regulation, microRNA‑mediated plasticity, minimally invasive biomarkers, and tumor microenvironmental influences on epithelial transitions in oral and breast cancer.
Field of Expertise
Translational oncology with a focus on molecular and microenvironmental drivers of cancer progression, chemoresistance, and metastasis.
Fellowship & Membership
- Member-Scientific Review Committee , Rangadore Memorial Hospital, Bangalore
- Member-Editorial board- ‘Cancer Treatment and Research Communications’-a part of Elsevier’s Oncology Journal Network
- Member-Board of Studies-Jain University- School of Biotechnology
- Member- Editorial board- ' Scientific Reports’ published by Nature Portfolio and ‘Discover Oncology’ published by Springer Nature
- Young Scientist Fellowship, Department of Health Research (2019–2022)
- IASc–INSA–NASI Summer Research Fellowship (2009)
- CSIR–UGC JRF Fellowship, AIR 54 (2011)
- Assistant Professor
St. John's Research Institute
February 2024–present
Karnataka - Project Scientist II
St. John's Research Institute
August 2022-January 2024
Karnataka - DHR-ICMR Young Scientist
St. John's Research Institute
August 2019-August 2022
Karnataka - Research Associate
St. John's Research Institute
September 2017-July 2019
Karnataka - PhD student
St. John's Research Institute
September 2012-August 2017
Karnataka - Junior Research Fellow
Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology
May 2011 - Aug 2012
Kerala - Project Assistant
Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology
May 2010 - Dec 2010
Kerala
Epigenetic regulation, microRNA‑mediated plasticity, minimally invasive biomarkers, and tumor microenvironmental influences on epithelial transitions in oral and breast cancer.
No groups and associations specified.
| S.I. No | Project Title | Project Lead | Year of Initiation | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Contractual Project for conducting pre-clinical studies to characterize the molecular mechanism of chemo sensitization of selected cancer cell lines by a novel compound. | Dr. Madhumathy G Nair | 2021 | completed |
| 2 | Evaluating role of circulating DNA as biomarkers of tumor progression and response to therapy in neo-adjuvant setting of breast cancer - a pilot study | Dr. Madhumathy G Nair, Dr. Rakesh S Ramesh, Dr. Jyothi S Prabhu | 2019 | completed |
| 3 | To investigate the role of miR-18a in regulating metastatic progression of breast cancer. | Dr. Madhumathy G Nair | 2019 | completed |
| 4 | Development of an immunohistochemistry-based assay predicting lymphatic spread in oral cancer | Dr. Madhumathy G Nair, Dr. Gayatri R | 2025 | ongoing |
| 5 | From Dysplasia to Carcinoma: Profiling the Inflammatory and Fibrogenic Influences on Epithelial Plasticity in Oral Cancer to disinter the early transition genes | Dr. Madhumathy G Nair | 2026 | ongoing |
α-Fodrin-CENP-E interaction is critical for pancreatic cancer progression and drug response
Jyothy A, Hussain J, S SC, Chandraprabha VR, Nair MG, Vasudevan S, Sreedharan H, Abraham B, Maliekal TT, Natarajan K, Sengupta S. Increased prevalence of hybrid epithelial/mesenchymal state and enhanced phenotypic heterogeneity in basal breast cancer
Sahoo S, Ramu S, Nair MG, Pillai M, San Juan BP, Milioli HZ, Mandal S, Naidu CM, Mavatkar AD, Subramaniam H, Neogi AG, Chaffer CL, Prabhu JS, Somarelli JA, Jolly MK. Elucidating the Role of MicroRNA-18a in Propelling a Hybrid Epithelial-Mesenchymal Phenotype and Driving Malignant Progression in ER-Negative Breast Cancer
Nair MG, Mavatkar AD, Naidu CM, V P S, C E A, Rajarajan S, Sahoo S, Mohan G, Jaikumar VS, Ramesh RS, B S S, Jolly MK, Maliekal TT, Prabhu JS An androgen receptor regulated gene score is associated with epithelial to mesenchymal transition features in triple negative breast cancers
Rajarajan S, Snijesh VP, Anupama CE, Nair MG, Mavatkar AD, Naidu CM, Patil S, Nimbalkar VP, Alexander A, Pillai M, Jolly MK, Sabarinathan R, Ramesh RS, Bs S, Prabhu JS PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling transduction pathway and targeted therapies in cancer
Glaviano A, Foo ASC, Lam HY, Yap KCH, Jacot W, Jones RH, Eng H, Nair MG, Makvandi P, Geoerger B, Kulke MH, Baird RD, Prabhu JS, Carbone D, Pecoraro C, Teh DBL, Sethi G, Cavalieri V, Lin KH, Javidi-Sharifi NR, Toska E, Davids MS, Brown JR, Diana P, Stebbing J, Fruman DA, Kumar AP The dynamic tumor-stromal crosstalk: implications of 'stromal-hot' tumors in the process of epithelial-mesenchymal transition in breast cancer
Mavatkar AD, Naidu CM, Prabhu JS, Nair MG Cell State Transitions and Phenotypic Heterogeneity in Luminal Breast Cancer Implicating MicroRNAs as Potential Regulators
Richard V, Nair MG, Jaikumar VS, Jones S, Prabhu JS, Kerin MJ Estimation of ALU Repetitive Elements in Plasma as a Cost-Effective Liquid Biopsy Tool for Disease Prognosis in Breast Cancer
Nair MG, Ramesh RS, Naidu CM, Mavatkar AD, V P S, Ramamurthy V, Somashekaraiah VM, C E A, Raghunathan K, Panigrahi A, Das M, Dhar SK, Prabhu JS miR-18a Mediates Immune Evasion in ER-Positive Breast Cancer through Wnt Signaling
Nair MG, D A, M C, Vp S, Patil S, Ce A, Mukherjee G, Kumar RV, Prabhu JS, Ts S miRNAs: Critical mediators of breast cancer metastatic programming
Nair MG, Somashekaraiah VM, Ramamurthy V, Prabhu JS, Sridhar TS High expression of ACE2 in HER2 subtype of breast cancer is a marker of poor prognosis
Nair MG, Prabhu JS, Ts S miR-18a activates Wnt pathway in ER-positive breast cancer and is associated with poor prognosis
Nair MG, Prabhu JS, Korlimarla A, Rajarajan S, P S H, Kaul R, Alexander A, Raghavan R, B S S, T S S HR+HER2- breast cancers with growth factor receptor-mediated EMT have a poor prognosis and lapatinib downregulates EMT in MCF-7 cells
Desai K, Aiyappa R, Prabhu JS, Nair MG, Lawrence PV, Korlimarla A, Ce A, Alexander A, Kaluve RS, Manjunath S, Correa M, Srinath BS, Patil S, Kalamdani A, Prasad M, Sridhar TS High expression of integrin β6 in association with the Rho-Rac pathway identifies a poor prognostic subgroup within HER2 amplified breast cancers
Desai K, Nair MG, Prabhu JS, Vinod A, Korlimarla A, Rajarajan S, Aiyappa R, Kaluve RS, Alexander A, Hari PS, Mukherjee G, Kumar RV, Manjunath S, Correa M, Srinath BS, Patil S, Prasad MS, Gopinath KS, Rao RN, Violette SM, Weinreb PH, Sridhar TS β3 integrin promotes chemoresistance to epirubicin in MDA-MB-231 through repression of the pro-apoptotic protein, BAD
Nair MG, Desai K, Prabhu JS, Hari PS, Remacle J, Sridhar TS Data on alteration of hormone and growth factor receptor profiles over progressive passages of breast cancer cell lines representing different clinical subtypes
Nair MG, Desai K, Prabhu JS, Hari PS, Remacle J, Sridhar TS Live detection and purification of cells based on the expression of a histone chaperone, HIRA, using a binding peptide
Kochurani KJ, Suganya AA, Nair MG, Louis JM, Majumder A, Kumar SK, Abraham P, Dutta D, Maliekal TT Side population cells as prototype of chemoresistant, tumor-initiating cells
Richard V, Nair MG, Santhosh Kumar TR, Pillai MR Multiple drug resistant, tumorigenic stem-like cells in oral cancer
Richard V, Sebastian P, Nair MG, Nair SN, Malieckal TT, Santhosh Kumar TR, Pillai MR TM1-IR680 peptide for assessment of surgical margin and lymph node metastasis in murine orthotopic model of oral cancer
Suganya S AA, Kochurani KJ, Nair MG, Louis JM, Sankaran S, Rajagopal R, Kumar KS, Abraham P, P G B, Sebastian P, Somananthan T, Maliekal TT 22nd Scientific Workshop of the International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC), and the 9th Meeting of Accelerating Research in Genomic Oncology (ARGO)
The abstract titled “Monitoring Solid Tumor Dynamics through CTC and ctDNA Analysis” was presented as a poster in the 22nd Scientific Workshop of the International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC)…
22nd Scientific Workshop of the International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC), and the 9th Meeting of Accelerating Research in Genomic Oncology (ARGO)
The abstract titled “Decoding Breast Cancer Progression through profiling of circulating miRNAs” was presented as a poster in the 22nd Scientific Workshop of the International Cancer Genome Consortium…
6th Annual Meeting of the Indian Cancer Genome Atlas (ICGA)
The abstract titled “Monitoring Solid Tumor Dynamics through CTC-ctDNA-miRNA Circulomics” was presented as a poster in the 6th Annual Meeting of the Indian Cancer Genome Atlas (ICGA) from Novembe…
International Society of Liquid Biopsy Conference- 7th Annual Congress of Liquid Biopsy
The abstract titled “ Association of Circulating Tumor Cell Dynamics with Patient-Reported Cancer Worry in Post-Surgical Breast Cancer Patients” was presented at International Society of Liquid Biopsy…
Delivered an talk as part of the two-day workshop –‘Hands-on training in Cancer Cell culture for the Next Generation of Scientists’ – conducted on 24th and 25th November, 2025 in General Sir John Kotewala Defence University, Ratmalana, Sri Lanka.
Delivered an talk as part of the two-day workshop –‘Hands-on training in Cancer Cell culture for the Next Generation of Scientists’