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Ratna B. Ray, Ph.D.

Professor, Division of Research
Department of Pathology

Education

Doctor of Philosophy
University of Calcutta, India

Research Interests

  • Hepatitis C virus-mediated pathogenesis in liver disease progression
  • Cross-talk with host cellular factors
  • Cancer chemoprevention
  • mRNA and cancer
  • Cancer stem-like cells
  • Tumor microenvironment

Publications

  • Bagchi A, Ray RB. Understanding the Tumor Microenvironment and Therapy Resistance in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma. Cells. 2025 Dec 25;15(1):44. doi: 10.3390/cells15010044. PMID: 41511327; PMCID: PMC12785420.
  • Bandyopadhyay D, Tran ET, Patel RA, Luetzen MA, Cho K, Shriver LP, Patti GJ, Varvares MA, Ford DA, McCommis KS, Ray RB. Momordicine-I suppresses head and neck cancer growth by modulating key metabolic pathways. Cell Commun Signal. 2024 Dec 18;22(1):597. doi: 10.1186/s12964-024-01951-w. PMID: 39696286; PMCID: PMC11657802.
  • Sur S, Bhartiya P, Steele R, Brennan M, DiPaolo RJ, Ray RB. Momordicine-I Suppresses Head and Neck Cancer Growth by Reprogrammimg Immunosuppressive Effect of the Tumor-Infiltrating Macrophages and B Lymphocytes. Mol Cancer Ther. 2024 May 2;23(5):672-682. doi: 10.1158/1535-7163.MCT-23-0718. PMID: 38315993; PMCID: PMC11065610.
  • Haga Y, Bandyopadhyay D, Khatun M, Tran E, Steele R, Banerjee S, Ray R, Nazzal M, Ray RB. Increased expression of long non-coding RNA FIRRE promotes hepatocellular carcinoma by HuR-CyclinD1 axis signaling. J Biol Chem. 2024 May;300(5):107247. doi: 10.1016/j.jbc.2024.107247. Epub 2024 Mar 29. PMID: 38556083; PMCID: PMC11061211.
  • Haga Y, Ray R, Ray RB. Silmitasertib in Combination With Cabozantinib Impairs Liver Cancer Cell Cycle Progression, Induces Apoptosis, and Delays Tumor Growth in a Preclinical Model. Mol Carcinog. 2025 Jan;64(1):72-82. doi: 10.1002/mc.23827. Epub 2024 Oct 8. PMID: 39377735.
  • Patra T, Cunningham DM, Meyer K, Toth K, Ray RB, Heczey A, Ray R. Targeting Lin28 axis enhances glypican-3-CAR T cell efficacy against hepatic tumor initiating cell population. Mol Ther. 2023 Mar 1;31(3):715-728. doi: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2023.01.002. Epub 2023 Jan 6. PMID: 36609146; PMCID: PMC10014222.

Honors and Awards

  • Research Institute fellow - Saint Louis University
  • Grantwinner Award for Excellence in Research - Saint Louis University
  • Naomi Judd Award - Friends of the SLU Liver Center
  • Faculty Service Award - SLU
  • Henry Christian Memorial Award - American Federation of Cancer Research
  • Postdoctoral research fellow, Department of Microbiology - University of Alabama at Birmingham
  • Senior Research Fellowship Award - Indian Council of Medical Research, New Delhi, India
  • Junior Research Fellowship Award - Indian Council of Medical Research, New Delhi, India

Professional Organizations and Associations

  • American Society for Microbiology
  • American Association for Cancer Research
  • American Society for Virology

Community Work and Service

  • Volunteer, Punascha (India nonprofit)
  • Volunteer, Friends of Liver Foundation, West Bengal (U.S.-based nonprofit)