Sridevi Challa, PhD

Dr. Sridevi Challa is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Chicago. She earned her Ph.D. in Cancer Biology from University of South Florida where she studied the mechanisms of tyrosine kinase signaling in cancers under the mentorship of Dr. Malafa. After being awarded a Ph.D. degree in 2017, she joined the laboratory of Dr. W. Lee Kraus in UT Southwestern Medical Center as a postdoctoral researcher. During her postdoctoral fellowship she identified critical processes regulated by PARP enzymes in ovarian cancers. She demonstrated that the cytosolic NAD+ synthesis pathway controls mono-(ADP-ribosyl)ation of ribosomal proteins which maintains protein homeostasis and supports ovarian cancer cell growth. She was the recipient of an OCRA Mentored Investigator Award.

Dr. Challa joined the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Chicago as an Assistant Professor where she is developing a research program to address critical challenges in the ovarian cancer treatment. Research in her lab focuses on investigating the role of metabolic changes and stress responses in gynecologic cancers. Additionally, with her position as the Basic Science Lead, she is developing the Endometrial Cancer Research Program alongside physicians in the University of Chicago. Support from the OCRA Early Career Investigator Grant will be foundational for achieving her research goals.