Winner. Scientist of the Year 2021

Nageswari Yarravarapu

Academic title, degree: Ph.D.
Fields of science: Chemical Biology
Research interest: Small-molecule inhibitors for anticancer therapeutics, chemoenzymatic methods for the mapping of glycan-mediated interactions
Institution: University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Position: Assistant Instructor
Country: USA

Dr. Nageswari Yarravarapu is a highly experienced researcher and a reputable scientist who has provided fundamental methods, protocols, and approaches to her peers through her research and the resulting publication.

Dr. Yarravarapu earned her Bachelor of Pharmacy and Bachelor of Chemical Engineering degrees from the Birla Institute of Technology and Science in India. She has also earned a Doctoral degree in Medicinal Chemistry from Duquesne University and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the Dr. Lawrence Lum Lab at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. Her professional experience includes an internship with the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology and the Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited, both located in India. Based on this background, Dr. Yarravarapu has secured a position with the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, where she continues her research into discovering small molecule inhibitors of the GALNT family of glycosyltransferases and the mapping of glycan-mediated interactions by developing chemoenzymatic approaches.

Dr. Yarravarapu has addressed a critical issue through her research on medications, laying the groundwork for developing improved therapeutic agents for the treatment of mental illness. She has investigated the mechanisms of action of methylphenidate, citalopram, and fluoxetine, which are all highly common drugs used in the treatment of mental illnesses such as ADHD and depression. To do so, she replicated the drugs’ chemical components, developed chemical probes and mapped the binding sites within monoamine transporters. She then experimented with utilizing a binding ensemble profiling method with photoaffinity labeling, a novel approach to investigating the chemical mechanism that revealed the binding sites and posed of the evaluated drugs and determined their structure-function relationship.

In another notable research project, Dr. Yarravarapu identified a drug development pathway for anticancer therapeutics by investigating the WNT/beta-catenin pathway. Her research encompassed the identification of the inhibitors’ signal pathway, the role of IWPs and IWRs as inhibitors, and the use of a cross-species protein interrogation platform to determine that this process is responsible for the selectivity of fatty acids. The discovery of the roles of these small molecules in this system as associated with cancer developments was a critical contribution to the field of chemical biology as it determined another viable pathway for the development of novel cancer therapeutics.

In a well-known study, Dr. Yarravarapu developed a novel process to develop drugs for the treatment of neuropathic pain. Her process used a pharmacophore approach in which she synthesized g-aminobutyric acid derivatives, combined with aryl semi carbazone and GABA pharmacophores, which she proved to have anticonvulsant, peripheral analgesic, antiallodynic, and antihyperalgesic capabilities through acetic acid induced writhing tests and a nerve injury model. Through this research, Dr. Yarravarapu established a novel pathway for the development of future drugs targeting neuropathic and other forms of chronic diseases, which are notoriously difficult to treat effectively.

Dr. Yarravarapu’s work on some projects was funded by the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas, the National Institutes of Health, and the Welch Foundation. Funding from renowned institutions such as these is reserved for the strongest researchers in the field, demonstrating that Dr. Yarravarapu is performing critical work in the field of chemical biology.

Dr. Nageswari Yarravarapu is a chemical biology researcher of considerable skill whose work has driven fundamental progress in scientific understanding of the molecular mechanisms of action of a range of therapeutic drugs.

Dr. Yarravarapu’s original research on important topics like developing novel approaches to synthesizing GABA drugs, determining the mechanisms of action of common mental illness therapeutics, and investigating the role of the WNT/beta-catenin pathway in cancer has been published widely in highly respected and influential journals in the field of chemical biology, as well as cited extensively by other researchers. Her research has resulted in 12 peer-reviewed journal articles (4 of them first-authored) and 1 published patent. Dr. Yarravarapu’s publications have been cited a total of 126 times according to Google Scholar, thereby demonstrating that these publications are widely recognized and relied upon in the field of chemical biology. Due to her knowledge and expertise in chemical probe design and synthesis, drug discovery and development, and glycobiology, Dr. Nageswari Yarravarapu has been regularly invited to conduct peer review for authoritative journals in the field, including ACS Chemical Biology, Cancer Research Communications, Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry, and has completed at least twenty-five reviews to date.

Dr. Yarravarapu’s extraordinary background has well-positioned her to advance the field, and her research has already culminated in novel discoveries that have established her as a notable leader in the field of chemical biology. At her early career stage, she has already driven notable progress in this area, as her research has advanced knowledge critical to the treatment of pancreatic, colorectal, breast, and other cancers. Dr. Yarravarapu’s contributions are also crucial to advancing new life-saving drugs for these conditions and in order to improve the prognosis for millions of people. Her chemical biology work on drug development, modification, and improvement represents a critical contribution to scientific efforts to address this global public health issue, offering patients more effective treatment options.