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Dr. Sathish Venkatachalem's Lab

Sathish Venkatachalem, PhD

Metcalf-Jordan

Professor of Medicine
Laureate Chair in Molecular Medicine
Adjunct Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Adjunct Professor of Pathology
Co-Director of Research, Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine Division
Department of Medicine
University of Oklahoma Health Campus
755 Research Parkway, Suite 329
Oklahoma City, OK  73104
405-271-0982 (office)
405-271-0989 (fax)
Sathish-Venkatachalem@ou.edu

Research Summary

The research laboratory of Dr. Venkatachalem, studies human lung diseases such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) disease and pulmonary hypertension. With reference to asthma, incidence and severity is higher in both pre-menopausal women and in aging men, suggesting a role for female sex steroids (estrogen) in modulating this disease. However, it is not clear whether and how estrogens impact the airway. Furthermore, women may be biologically more susceptible to cigarette smoke exposure than men when it comes to incidence of and complications from smoking-related airway diseases. Our studies using human airway smooth muscles from both male and female asthmatics vs. non-asthmatics, smokers vs. Non-smokers along with animal studies where we control sex steroids levels or their signaling will substantially enhance our understanding of how and why estrogens influence the asthmatic airway. In addition, LAM disease almost exclusively affects women. The mechanistic basis of gender specific LAM progression is still not well understood. We believe our focused studies will yield novel mechanistic information on LAM pathogenesis. Relevant sex steroid signaling, studies regarding breast cancer and nanomedicine-based drug delivery towards clinical translational research also of interest of the lab with collaborative fashion. Dr. Venkatachalem’s laboratory is supported by multiple research grants, including an NIH/NHLBI, NIH/NIA, NIH/NIGMS R01/RF1’s grants.

Laboratory Team

Radhika Adhikari, MS Pharm
Graduate Research Assistant
Contact: Radhika-Adhikari@ou.edu

 

 

 

Paras Giri, PhD
Associate Research Scholar
Contact: Paras-Giri@ou.edu

 

 

 

Ashish Kumar, MS Pharm
Associate Research Scholar
Contact: Ashish-Kumar@ou.edu

 

 

 

Dennis Maina, BS
Graduate Research Assistant
Contact: Dennis-Maina@ou.edu

 

 

 

Dheeran Rajarajan, PhD
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Contact: Dheeran-Rajarajan@ou.edu

 

 

 

Yogaraj Sambasivam Ramakrishnan, PhD
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Contact: Yogaraj-SambasivamRamakrishnan@ou.edu

 

 

 

Vanajothi Ramar, PhD
Associate Research Scholar
Vanajothi-Ramar@ou.edu

 

 

 

Mohammad Irshad Reza, MS Pharm
Associate Research Scholar
Contact: MohammadIrshad-Reza@ou.edu

 

 

 

Jacob Tesch, BS
Staff Research Assistant
Contact: Jacob-Tesch@ou.edu

 

 

 

Current positions

We are currently accepting applications from undergraduate, postbaccalaureate, graduate, and postdoctoral training aspirants in our lab. Please contact us about research opportunities.

Education:

PhD, Biochemistry,University of Madras, Chennai, India, 2003
MSc, Biochemistry, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore, India, 1999
BSc, Biochemistry, University of Madras, Chennai, India, 1997

Professional Experience:

Professor of Medicine, Section of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, 2025 - Present

Co-Director of Research, Section of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, 2025 - Present

Adjunct Professor of Pathology, Department of Pathology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, 2025 - Present

Adjunct Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, 2025 - Present

Director of COBRE, Center for Diagnostic and Therapeutic Strategies in Pancreatic Cancer, North Dakota State University, 2024 - 2025

Co-lead of the Health Research Core Translational Science Engaging North Dakota (TRANSCEND), North Dakota, 2024 - 2025

Associate Professor, North Dakota State University, 2020 - 2025

Co-Director of COBRE, Center for Diagnostic and Therapeutic Strategies in Pancreatic Cancer, North Dakota State University, 2021 - 2024

Co-Director of the pilot project core, Dakota cancer collatorative on translational activity (DaCCoTA), North Dakota, 2018 - 2024

Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, North Dakota State University, 2016 - 2020

Assistant Professor of Physiology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 2012 - 2016

Research Associate, Departments of Physiology & Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 2007 - 2011

Postdoctoral Research Associate, Heart Failure Research Group, Dept. of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada, 2003 - 2006

Honors and Awards

Endowed Professorship: Laureate Chair of Molecular Medicine, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, 2025

Dean’s Award for supportive colleague, College of Health and Human Sciences, NDSU, 2025

Selected for Walter F. and Verna Gehrts Endowed Professorship Award, NDSU, 2025

Bison Faculty Spotlight Recognition, University Relations, NDSU, 2024 

Innovation in Teaching Award, Office of Teaching and Learning, NDSU, 2024

Nominated for the 2024 Inspiring Colleague Award, NDSU, 2024

Manuscript selected for APS Select Award 2021 by the American Physiological Society, 2021

Dean’s Award for excellence in Research, College of Health Professions, NDSU, 2020

Manuscript selected for APS Select Award 2020 by the American Physiological Society, 2020

Experimental Biology and Medicine (EBM) outstanding Reviewer Award, 2018

American Physiological Society Research Host for USRF program, 2018

Impact Fund Award, NDSU Foundation and Alumni Association at Fargo ND, 2017

Rising stars of Research Award in ATS Science and Innovation Center at American Thoracic Society, San Francisco, 2016

First place on the best poster competition in 13th Scientific Symposium of the Flight Attendant Medical Research Institute (FAMRI), Miami, FL, 2014

Dr. Duane K Rorie award for excellence in laboratory based research by the Department of Anaesthesiology, Mayo Clinic, MN, 2013

First place on the best poster competition in 12th Scientific Symposium of the Flight Attendant Medical Research Institute (FAMRI), Miami, FL, 2013

Young Clinical Scientist Award – Faculty Flight Attendants Medical Research Institute (FAMRI), 2013 - 2016

Young Clinical Scientist Award – Fellow Flight Attendants Medical Research Institute (FAMRI), 2011 - 2012

Dr. Duane K Rorie award for excellence in laboratory based research by the Department of Anaesthesiology, Mayo Clinic, MN, 2009

Postdoctoral Research Fellowship - Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario program grant in Heart Failure, Canada, 2003 - 2006

Awarded Senior Research Fellowship - Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Government of India, India, 2002 - 2003

Awarded Tamil Nadu Junior Research Fellowship - Tamil Nadu Council of Science and Technology, Government of Tamil Nadu, India, 2001

Awarded Junior Research Fellowship - Lady Tata Memorial Trust (LTMT), Mumbai, India, 2000 - 2001

Best Poster Award - Council of Scientific and Industrial Research sponsored symposium on Commercial Exploitation of Economically Important Medicinal Plants, Coimbatore, India, 2000

Professional Society Memberships

The Organization for the Study of Sex Differences - Member, 2022 - Present
Society for Redox Biology and Medicine (SFRBM) - Member, 2022 - Present
American Society of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET) - Member, 2018 - Present
Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine, 2018 - Present
American Thoracic Society (AST) - Member, 2011 - Present
American Physiological Society (APS) - Member, 2007 - Present

Journal Editorial Boards

Frontiers in Physiology - Associate Editor
Frontiers in Allergy - Associate Editor
JSM Biochemistry & Molecular Biology - Associate Editor
International Journal of Pulmonology and Clinical Research - Editorial Board

Recent Publications (past 5 years)

  1. Reza MI, Balraj P, Thompson MA, Prakash YS, Pabelick CM, Britt RD Jr, Sathish V. Asthma and inflammation transcriptionally up-regulate the aryl hydrocarbon receptor in airway smooth muscle via p38/JNK-AP1 signalling. Br J Pharmacol. 2025 Jun 25:10.1111/bph.70120. doi: 10.1111/bph.70120.
  2. Edvall C, Kale N, Tani S, Ambhore S, Hossain R, Ozoude C, Van Horsen K, Mohammad J, Tuvin DM, Kalathingal S, Loganathan J, Choi Y, Sathish V, Brown J, Mallik S. Hypoxia-Responsive Polymersomes for Stemness Reduction in Patient-Derived Solid Tumor Spheroids. ACS Appl Bio Mater. 2025; 8(4):2916-2926.
  3. Ford ML, Reza MI, Ruwanpathirana A, Sathish V, Britt RD Jr. Integrative Roles of Pro-Inflammatory Cytokines on Airway Smooth Muscle Structure and Function in Asthma. Immunol Rev. 2025 Mar;330(1):e70007.
  4. Borkar NA, Thompson MA, Kelley B, Shiferaw BT, Hamrick SK, Sathish V, Prakash YS, Pabelick CM. Nicotine-induced ER Stress and ASM Cell Proliferation is Mediated by α7nAChR and Chaperones-RIC-3 and TMEM35. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol. 2025;72(3):297-307.
  5. Ambhore NS, Balraj P, Kumar A, Reza MI, Ramakrishnan YS, Tesch J, Lohana S, Sathish V. Kiss1 Receptor Knockout Exacerbates Airway Hyperresponsiveness and Remodeling in a Mouse Model of Allergic Asthma. Respir Res. 2024; 28;25(1):387.
  6. Sahu B, Nookala S, Floden AM, Ambhore NS, Sathish V, Klug MG, Combs CK. House dust mite-induced asthma exacerbates Alzheimer's disease changes in the brain of the AppNL-G-F mouse model of disease. Brain Behav Immun. 2024: S0889-1591(24)00514-2.
  7. Balraj P, Ambhore NS, Ramakrishnan YS, Borkar NA, Banerjee P, Reza MI, Varadharajan S, Kumar A, Pabelick CM, Prakash YS, Sathish V. Kisspeptin/KISS1R Signaling modulates Human Airway Smooth Muscle Cell Migration. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol. 2024 70(6):507-518.
  8. Giri PM, Kumar a, Salu P, Sathish V, Reindl K, Mallik S, Layek B. Nanoencapsulated Oxaliplatin and Entinostat Combination Therapy for Better Management of Pancreatic Cancer. Biomed. Pharmacother. 2024; 175:116743.
  9. Reza MI, Kumar A, Pabelick CM, Rodney Britt, Prakash YS, Sathish V. Downregulation of protein phosphatase 2Aα in asthmatic airway smooth muscle. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol. 2024; 326(5): L651-L659.
  10. Ambhore NS, Balraj P, Pabelick CM, Prakash YS, Sathish V. Estrogen receptors differentially modifies lamellipodial and focal adhesion dynamics in airway smooth muscle cell migration. Mol Cell Endocrinol. 2024; 579: 112087
  11. Borkar NA, Thompson MA, Bartman CM, Khalfaoui L, Sine SM, Sathish V, Prakash YS, Pabelick CM. Nicotinic Receptors in Airway Disease. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol. 2024; 326(2):L149-L163.
  12. Borkar NA, Thompson MA, Bartman CM, Sathish V, Prakash YS, Pabelick CM. Nicotine Affects Mitochondrial Structure and Function in Human Airway Smooth Muscle Cells. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol. 2023; 325(6):L803-L818.
  13. *Borkar NA, *Ambhore NS, *Balraj P, *Ramakrishnan YS, Sathish V. Kisspeptin regulates airway hyperresponsiveness and remodeling in a mouse model of asthma. J Pathol. 2023; 12;260(3):339-352.
  14. Borkar NA, Combs CK, Sathish V. Sex Steroids Effects on Asthma: A Network Perspective of Immune and Airway Cells. Cells. 2022; 11(14):2238.
  15. Ambhore NS, Kumar A, Sathish V. Molecular determinants of airway smooth muscle cells in health and disease. Ann Transl Med. 2022;10(20):1084.
  16. Guo K, Yombo DJK, Schmit T, Wang Z, Navaeiseddighi Z, Sathish V, Mathur R, Wu M, Kumar B, Hur J, Khan N. Cellular Heterogeneity and Molecular Reprogramming of the Host Response during Influenza Acute Lung Injury. J Virol. 2022 Nov 9;96(21):e0124622.
  17. Anto S, Sathish V, Sun C, O'Rourke ST. Apelin-Induced Relaxation of Coronary Arteries is Impaired in a Model of Second-Hand Cigarette Smoke Exposure. J Cardiovasc Pharmacol. 2022; 80(6):842-851.
  18. *Borkar NA, *Ambhore NS, *Kalidhindi RSR, Pabelick CM, Prakash YS, Sathish V. Kisspeptins inhibit human airway smooth muscle proliferation. JCI Insight. 2022; 7(10):e152762.
  19. Jackson D, Walum J, Banerjee P, Lewis BW, Prakash YS, Sathish V, Xu Z, Britt RD Jr. Th1 cytokines synergize to change gene expression and promote corticosteroid insensitivity in pediatric airway smooth muscle. Respir Res. 2022; 23(1):126.
  20. Pullan J, Dailey K, Bhallamudi S, Feng L, Alhalhooly L, Froberg J, Osborn J, Sarkar K, Molden T, Sathish V, Choi Y, Brooks A, Mallik S. Modified Bovine Milk Exosomes for Doxorubicin Delivery to Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Cells. ACS Appl Bio Mater. 2022; 5(5):2163-2175.
  21. Lu W, Eapen MS, Singhera GK, Markos J, Haug G, Chia C, Larby J, Brake SJ, Westall GP, Jaffar J, Kalidhindi RSR, Fonseka N, Sathish V, Hackett TL, Sohal SS. Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2 (ACE2), Transmembrane Peptidase Serine 2 (TMPRSS2), and Furin Expression Increases in the Lungs of Patients with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) and Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM): Implications for SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) Infections. J Clin Med. 2022 Jan 31;11(3):777.
  22. Shah H, Pang L, Qian SY, Sathish V. Iminodibenzyl induced redirected COX-2 activity inhibits breast cancer progression. NPJ Breast Cancer. 2021; 17;7(1):122.
  23. Mamnoon B, Feng L, Froberg J, Choi Y, Sathish V, Taratula O, Taratula O, Mallik S. Targeting Estrogen Receptor-Positive Breast Microtumors with Endoxifen-Conjugated, Hypoxia-Sensitive Polymersomes. ACS Omega. 2021; 6(42):27654-27667.
  24. Banerjee P, Balraj P, Ambhore NS, Wicher SA, Britt Jr. RD, Pabelick CM, Prakash YS, Sathish V. Network and co-expression analysis of airway smooth muscle cell transcriptome delineates potential gene signatures in asthma. Sci. Rep. 2021; 11(1); 14386.
  25. Bhallamudi S, Roos BB, Teske JJ, Wicher SA, McConico A, M Pabelick C, Sathish V, Prakash YS. Glial-derived neurotrophic factor in human airway smooth muscle. J Cell Physiol. 2021; 236(12):8184-8196.
  26. Borkar NA, Roos B, Prakash YS, Sathish V, Pabelick CM. Nicotinic α7 acetylcholine receptor (α7nAChR) in human airway smooth muscle. Arch Biochem Biophys. 2021; 706:108897.
  27. Pang L, Shah H, Qian SY, Sathish V. Iminodibenzyl redirected cyclooxygenase-2 catalyzed dihomo-γ-linolenic acid peroxidation pattern in lung cancer. Free Radical Biology and Medicine. 2021; S0891-5849 (21) 00356-7.
  28. *Kalidhindi RS, *Ambhore NS, Balraj P, Schmit T, Khan MN, Sathish V. Androgen receptor activation alleviates airway hyperresponsiveness, inflammation and remodeling in a murine model of asthma. American Journal of Physiology-Lung Cellular and Molecular Physiology. 2021; 320(5):L803-L818.
  29. Sadiq M, Pang L, Johnson M, Sathish V, Zang Q, Wang M. 2D Nanomaterial, Ti3C2 MXene-based sensor to guide lung cancer therapy and management. Biosensors (Basel). 2021; 11(2):40.
  30. Mamnoon B, Loganathan J, Confeld M, De Fonseka N, Feng L, Froberg J, Choi Y, Tuvin DM, Sathish V, Mallik S. Targeted polymeric nanoparticles for drug delivery to hypoxic, triple-negative breast tumors. ACS Applied Biomaterials. 2021; 4 (2):1450-1460.
  31. *Kalidhindi RSR, *Borkar NA, *Ambhore NS, Pabelick CM, Prakash YS, Sathish V. Sex steroids skew ACE2 expression in human airway: a contributing factor to sex differences in COVID-19? Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol. 2020; 319(5):L843-L847.
  32. Shah H, Pang L, Wang H, Shu D, Qian SY, Sathish V. Growth inhibitory and anti-metastatic activity of epithelial cell adhesion molecule targeted three-way junctional delta-5-desaturase siRNA nanoparticle for breast cancer therapy. Nanomedicine. 2020; 30:102298.
  33. Mamnoon B, Feng L, Froberg J, Choi Y, Sathish V, Mallik S. Hypoxia-Responsive, Polymeric Nanocarriers for Targeted Drug Delivery to Estrogen Receptor-Positive Breast Cancer Cell Spheroids. Mol Pharm. 2020 Nov 2;17(11):4312-4322.
  34. Pang L, Shah H, Wang H, Shu D, Qian SY, Sathish V. EpCAM-Targeted 3WJ RNA Nanoparticle Harboring Delta-5-Desaturase siRNA Inhibited Lung Tumor Formation via DGLA Peroxidation Molecular therapy Nucleic Acids. 2020; 22: 222-235.
  35. *Kalidhindi RSR, *Ambhore NS, Bhallamudi S, Loganathan J, Sathish V. Role of Estrogen Receptors α and β in a Murine Model of Asthma: Exacerbated Airway Hyperresponsiveness and Remodeling in ERβ Knockout Mice. Front Pharmacol. 2020 Feb 4;10:1499.
  36. Bhallamudi S, Connell J, Pabelick CM, Prakash YS, Sathish V. Estrogen receptors differentially regulate intracellular calcium handling in human non-asthmatic and asthmatic airway smooth muscle cells. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol. 2020 Jan 1;318(1):L112-L124.

Book Chapters

  1. Tesch J, Pandey S, Adhikari R, Sathish V. Inflammatory Mediators in the Airway: A Structural Cells Perspective. In: Wang, YX. (eds) Inflammation. Springer, Cham. 2025: 1-44 (Springer Book Series).
  2. Kalidhindi RS, Ambhore NS, Sathish V. Cellular and biochemical analysis of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from murine. Methods in Molecular Biology. 2021; 2223:201-215 (Springer Book Series).
  3. Ambhore NS, Kalidhindi RSR, Sathish V. Sex steroid signaling in lung diseases and inflammation. Adv Exp Med Biol. 2021; 1303: 243-273 (Springer Book Series).
  4. Roos B, *Teske J, Bhallamudi S, Pabelick CM, Sathish V, Prakash YS. Neurotrophin regulation and signaling in airway smooth muscle. Adv Exp Med Biol. 2021; 1304:109-121 (Springer Book Series).
  5. Borkar NA and Sathish V. Sex steroids and their influence in lung disease across the lifespan. In: Silveyra P and Xenia T, editors. Sex-Based Differences in Lung Physiology: Springer International Publishing; 2021: p. 39-72 (Springer/APS/NIH supported).
  6. Prakash YS, Sathish V, Townsend E. Sex Steroid Signaling in the Airway. In: Wang Y-X, editor. Calcium Signaling in Airway Smooth Muscle Cells: Springer International Publishing; 2014. p. 321-32.
  7. Sathish V and Prakash YS.  Sex Differences in Pulmonary Anatomy and Physiology: Implications for Health and Disease. In: Neigh GN and Mitzefelt MM, editors. Sex Differences in Physiology: Academic Press; 2016: p. 89-103.

*Equal Contribution
**Senior/First Author

A complete list of my published works can be viewed in My Bibliography:  https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=sathish+venkatachalem&sort=date