Devarati Mitra
Assistant Professor
The University of Texas Health Science Center
MD Anderson Cancer Center
Department of Radiation Oncology
My research efforts are focused on improving outcomes for cancer patients receiving radiation therapy to skin and superficial tissue targets using translational laboratory-based approaches spanning the spectrum of cell biology, animal models and prospectively collected patient samples and patient data. Our studies are highly collaborative and involve interdisciplinary work with experts in cancer biology, medical physics and advanced imaging.
Broadly speaking, our studies are focused on three primary areas:
(1) Developing techniques to improve disease control in aggressive cutaneous and mucosal malignancies such as melanoma and merkel cell carcinoma. Such approaches include biology-informed combinations of radiotherapy with contemporary systemic therapies as well as altered radiotherapy dose and fractionation. To evaluate the effect of these interventions being performed in the clinical trial setting, laboratory-based investigations include longitudinal evaluation of the local tumor microenvironment and circulating tumor- and immune-related factors, as well as advanced imaging including radiomic profiling.
(2) Optimizing methodology to monitor and predict for high grade skin and superficial tissue toxicity across patients of diverse races and ethnicities. Historically, the gold-standard for assessing radiation-therapy associated skin and superficial tissue toxicity has been physician-reported visible changes. However, it is well known that the appearance of skin pathology can manifest very differently depending on genetic ancestry (and skin color specifically). Our studies seek to fill an unmet need of developing non-invasive, quantitative biomarkers of acute and late skin and superficial tissue injury that accurately assess injury regardless of patient ancestry.
(3) Developing novel approaches to mitigate long term radiotherapy-associated skin and superficial tissue toxicity without compromising disease control. These studies include a collaborative effort with Dr. Emil Schueler’s laboratory evaluating ultra-high dose-rate (FLASH) electron radiotherapy as well as a collaborative effort with Dr. Clifton David Fuller’s laboratory evaluating novel radioprotectors in the prevention and treatment of tissue fibrosis.
Education & Training
M.D. - Harvard Medical School - 2014
Ph.D. - Harvard Medical School - 2012