Highlights:1. Discovered that two commercially available antiapoptotic compounds can effectively improve the self-renewal and expansion of cord blood-derived CD34+ progenitor cells in culture. These stem cells demonstrated efficient short-term and long-term engraftment and further repopulated blood cell lineages when transplanted into the NOD/SCID mouse model. These studies significantly contributed to the development of expanded cell product with enhanced potency and thus added to existing protocols where a combination of fresh and expanded grafts is used for bone marrow transplantation. 2. Discovered a novel link between skeletogenesis and hematopoiesis wherein the endocrine factors involved in bone mineralization namely, Fgf23 and Klotho showed direct influence on stem cell functions related to erythropoiesis and hematopoiesis in mouse models. Understanding the signaling involved in renal and vascular deficiencies through the regulation of hematopoietic and bone-derived factors open up new avenues for developing therapeutics for a range of hematopoietic and cardiovascular complications. 3. Identified a naturally occurring multipotent cell type in murine placentas that can specifically home to sites of cardiac injury.This is a very critical area of research given the fact that appropriate cell types that can generate de novo cardiomyocytes in vivo have not been identified and hence provide the feasibility of developing allogeneic cell therapeutics for cardiac repair.

Skills:Stem cells, hematopoietic, cardiology

Goal:My research background for the past 12 years covers stem cells and regenerative medicine. My primary goal is to contribute towards regenerative biology, utilizing the broad understanding I gained from stem cell biology and transplantation. I wish to be in academia/industry interface where the basic research can be positioned into a clinically relevant strategy, which in turn can be available in the public sphere to improve human health.

Membership:American Heart Association Internation Society of Stem Cell Research New York Academy of Sciences

Honor:Peter Sheehan Diabetes Care Foundation Young Innovator Award 2018, First Runner-Up, New York, NY, USA. ? Annual Post-doctoral symposium selected abstract – data blitz presentation finalist, September 2017, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York. ? President poster prize for outstanding poster presentation at American Society of Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR) Annual Meeting at Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA (October 12-15, 2012). ? “International Society of Experimental Hematology (ISEH) Travel Award Fellowship” for poster and oral presentations at 39th Annual Meeting of ISEH, Melbourne, Australia (Sept 14-18, 2010). ? Prestigious award of Senior Scholarship in Science from Lady Tata Memorial Trust, Mumbai, India, to carry out “Life Science Research” work (2008 -2010)- Project- “Studies on in vitro expanded cord blood CD34+ cells using anti-apoptotic agents in the expansion media” ? Awarded Junior Research Fellowship from Defence Research Development Organization, Life Science research Board (DRDO-LSRB), Govt. of India, to initiate Life science research work in India for a period of two years (2005-2007). ? Awarded Industrial traineeship from Biotech Consortium India Ltd, New Delhi, India (2005). ? Awarded Cash prize and special merit certificate for standing third at district level in SSC, Kerala Board Examination, (1996). ? Awarded cash prize and certificate for standing First at School level in SSC, Kerala Board Examination, (1996).

Post Doctoral Fellow 02/2014 - current
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York United States
Fetal stem cells and cardiac repair
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Post Doctoral Associate 08/2011 - 11/2013
New York University, New York, New York United States
Link between Skeletogenesis and Hematopoiesis
My first post-doctoral period at New York University contributed to the understanding of the link between skeletogenesis and hematopoiesis wherein I specifically studied the novel role of Fgf23 and Klotho proteins in stem cell functions related to erythropoiesis and hematopoiesis in mouse models that were deficient in these genes. My study concluded that these endocrine factors have a role beyond the bone mineralization and they influence adult and fetal hematopoiesis and stem cell formation. (Vadakke-Madathil et al., Am J Pathol, 2014; Coe LM, Vadakke-Madathil et al., J Biol Chem, 2014). These novel observations may explain in part, the vascular complications and changes in circulating blood cells in patients with advanced renal and cardiovascular diseases where FGF signaling is important.--

Calicut University 04/1998 - 04/2001
Calicut, Kerala, India
Degree: Bachelor's Degree
Major:Zoology
Minor:Chemistry, Botany
Bachelors degree in Zoology

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