Gunjan Sharma, PhD

Specializing in pediatric leukemia and mixed lymphoid leukemia research, Gunjan Sharma, PhD has excelled as a postdoctoral scholar at the University of California, Los Angeles since 2022. In this role, she and her team work on the pathogenesis and metabolic changes involved in the cancer stem cells that regulate the aggressiveness of mixed lineage lymphoid leukemia. Originally from India, she launched her career as a doctoral researcher at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences between 2016 and 2022.

In preparation for her impressive professional path, Dr. Sharma pursued a Bachelor of Science in biochemistry at Delhi University, from which she graduated with honors in 2014. She then continued her education by obtaining a Master of Science in medical biotechnology at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in 2016 before transitioning into a PhD program there. While at the institute, she conducted research under the tutelage of Dr. Jaya Tyagi, a prominent figure in the field of Mycobacterium tuberculosis molecular biology. It was through this experience that Dr. Sharma developed a passion for molecular biology, particularly cancer research.

Over the course of her enriching PhD journey, Dr. Sharma—mentored by Dr. Jayanth Kumar—published three papers, became certified in animal research, and was recognized with a SERB-Overseas Visiting Doctoral Fellowship through which she was granted the opportunity to work and study at UCLA. There, while under the guidance of Dr. Dinesh Rao, her current postdoctoral mentor, she conducted bone marrow transplant experiments and delved deeper into animal studies—all of which solidified her passion and ultimately led to her current position. Dedicated to her field, she’s an active member of such organizations as the European Hematology Association and the American Association of Cancer Research, as well as affiliated with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.