Science Spotlight: Saravanakkumar Chennappan
Saravanakkumar Chennappan, Ph.D., postdoctoral fellow under Maria Kontaridis, Ph.D., is focused on finding and understanding new changes in genes and proteins linked to a range of developmental issues. These changes impact a pathway in our body called Ras-MAPK, which has been conserved throughout evolution.
“RASopathy mutations affect one in every 2,000 live births worldwide and the phenotype varies from mild crano-facial changes to life-threatening cardiac and neurological complications,” Dr. Chennappan said. “By studying the molecular and cellular mechanisms that are altered by these novel mutations, I want to identify new therapeutic targets that can reduce the pathological burden in RASopathy patients.”
Dr. Chennappan’s research goal is to understand the fundamental biological processes in RASopathies and how they provide a unique opportunity to make discoveries that can not only benefit patients, but also shed light on broader medical and scientific questions.