Dipankar Ray, Ph.D.

Dr. Ray received his doctoral degree from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc.), Bangalore, India and a postdoctoral training at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). He then joined the Northwestern University, Chicago as a Research Assistant Professor before moving to the Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor in 2009. He is also an Adjunct Assistant Professor at the Department of Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Sciences and a course director for Radiation Biology. Dr. Ray’s expertise is primarily in the field of protein ubiquitination and how it's deregulation impacts oncoprotein stability to promote tumor progression. He also has substantial interests in the field of radiation pneumonitis and lung fibrosis. Dr. Ray's research is currently funded by NIH with future goals of translating basic research findings to develop novel and efficacious anticancer strategies and lung radioprotectors.

Dr. Ray's research focuses in the field of cancer cell signaling with specific emphasis on understanding the role of post-translational protein modifications during oncogenesis. His research involves in identifying ubiquitination machineries involved in the maintenance of oncoprotein stability, particularly epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and mutant KRAS. Dr. Ray also has a research interest in understanding the roles of Tumor Necrosis Factor- alpha (TNF-α) in radiation pneumonitis and further develop a strategy of lung radioprotection. Besides, he has several collaborative projects where he is studying the role of a RING-family ubiquitin ligase (E3) in mutant TP53 protein stability during Barrett’s progression to esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC). In another, he is collaborating in exploring the roles of a vitamin D metabolizing Cytochrome P450 (CYP24A1) in controlling nuclear division and mitochondrial biogenesis, critical for lung adenocarcinoma growth and invasion.