Vidhya Rao, PhD

  • Research Assistant Professor
  • Molecular Pharmacology & Neuroscience
  • Ophthalmology

ResearchGate | Google Scholar

Credentials

Undergraduate: B. Pharm. - Nagpur University

Graduate: 

M. Pharm. - Nagpur University

Ph.D. - University of North Texas Hleath Science Center at Fort Worth

 

Research Focus: Molecular Pharmacology and Neuroscience

Publications

2021

  • Rao VR, Stubbs EB Jr. TGF-β2 Promotes Oxidative Stress in Human Trabecular Meshwork Cells by Selectively Enhancing NADPH Oxidase 4 Expression. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2021 April; 62(4):4. doi: 10.1167/iovs.62.4.4. PMID: 33821883; PMCID: PMC8039474.

2020

  • Rao VR, Stubbs EB Jr. TGF-β2 Selectively Increases NADPH oxidase Type 4 (NOX4) Expression in Human Trabecular Meshwork (TM) cells. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2020 June; 61(7): 3421.
  • Ghosh AK, Rao VR, Wisniewski VJ, Zigrossi AD, Floss J, Koulen P, Stubbs EB Jr, Kaja S. Differential Activation of Glioprotective Intracellular Signaling Pathways in Primary Optic Nerve Head Astrocytes after Treatment with Different Classes of Antioxidants. Antioxidants (Basel). 2020 April; 9(4):324. doi: 10.3390/antiox9040324. PMID: 32316287; PMCID: PMC7222350.

2019

  • Ghosh AK, Rao VR, Stubbs EB Jr, Kaja S. Antioxidants protect against reactive astrocytosis-induced sensitization to oxidative stress. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2019 July; 60(9): 3791.
  • Rao VR, Lautz JD, Kaja S, Foecking EM, Lukács E, Stubbs EB Jr. Mitochondrial-Targeted Antioxidants Attenuate TGF-β2 Signaling in Human Trabecular Meshwork Cells. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2019 August; 60(10):3613-3624. doi: 10.1167/iovs.19-27542. PMID: 31433458.

2018

  • Kaja S, Stubbs EB Jr, Rao VR, Kalesynkas G, Ghosh AK. Reactive astrocytosis alters gene expression of ECM components in primary optic nerve head astrocytes. Acta Ophthalmologica. 2018 December; 96: 59-60. Doi: 10.1111/aos.13972_213.
  • Lenin R, Nagy PG, Alli S, Rao VR, Clauss MA, Kompella UB, Gangaraju R. Critical role of endoplasmic reticulum stress in chronic endothelial activation-induced visual deficits in tie2-tumor necrosis factor mice. J Cell Biochem. 2018 November; 119(10):8460-8471. doi: 10.1002/jcb.27072. Epub 2018 July. PMID: 30054947; PMCID: PMC6186177.
  • Rosen S, Ghosh AK, Stubbs EB Jr, Rao VR, Kaja S. Loxl1 knockdown precipitates phenotypes of reactive astrocytosis and elastinopathy in optic nerve head astrocytes. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2018 July; 59(9): 3526.
  • Fukushiro-Lopes DF, Hegel AD, Rao V, Wyatt D, Baker A, Breuer EK, Osipo C, Zartman JJ, Burnette M, Kaja S, Kouzoukas D, Burris S, Jones WK, Gentile S. Preclinical study of a Kv11.1 potassium channel activator as antineoplastic approach for breast cancer. Oncotarget. 2017 December; 9(3):3321-3337. doi: 10.18632/oncotarget.22925. PMID: 29423049; PMCID: PMC5790466. 

2017

  • Rao VR, Hegel AD, Floss JC, Lautz J, Husak V, Stubbs EB Jr, Kaja S. Elevated hydrostatic pressure increases the sensitivity of optic nerve head astrocytes to an oxidative challenge. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2017 June; 58(8): 4605. 

2016

  • Rao VR, Kaja S, Gentile S. Ion Channels in Aging and Aging-Related Diseases. Molecular Mechanisms of the Aging Process and Rejuvenation. 2016 August; DOI: 10.5772/63951.
  • Grassi MA, Rao VR, Chen S, Cao D, Gao X, Cleary PA, Huang RS, Paterson AD, Natarajan R, Rehman J, Kern TS; DCCT/EDIC Research Group. Lymphoblastoid Cell Lines as a Tool to Study Inter-Individual Differences in the Response to Glucose. PLoS One. 2016 August; 11(8):e0160504. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0160504. PMID: 27509144; PMCID: PMC4979894.
  • Perez-Neut M, Haar L, Rao V, Santha S, Lansu K, Rana B, Jones WK, Gentile S. Activation of hERG3 channel stimulates autophagy and promotes cellular senescence in melanoma. Oncotarget. 2016 April; 7(16):21991-2004. doi: 10.18632/oncotarget.7831. PMID: 26942884; PMCID: PMC5008339.
  • Shelke NB, Kadam R, Tyagi P, Rao VR, Kompella UB. The effect of particle shape and size on cellular uptake. Drug Discovery and Translational Research. 2016 February; 6(1): 73.

2015

  • Rao VR, Perez-Neut M, Kaja S, Gentile S. Voltage-gated ion channels in cancer cell proliferation. Cancers (Basel). 2015 May; 7(2):849-75. doi: 10.3390/cancers7020813. PMID: 26010603; PMCID: PMC4491688.
  • Perez- Neut M, Rao VR, Haar L, Jones KW, Gentile S. Current and potential antiarrhythmic drugs targeting voltage-gated cardiac ion channels. Cardiology Pharmacology. 2015; 4(139): 1-7.
  • Perez-Neut M, Rao VR, Gentile S. hERG1/Kv11.1 activation stimulates transcription of p21waf/cip in breast cancer cells via a calcineurin-dependent mechanism. Oncotarget. 2016 September; 7(37):58893-58902. doi: 10.18632/oncotarget.3797. PMID: 25945833; PMCID: PMC5312283.

2014

  • Grassi MA, Rao V, Winkler KP, Zhang W, Bogaard JD, Chen S, LaCroix B, Lenkala D, Rehman J, Malik AB, Cox NJ, Huang RS. Genetic variation is the major determinant of individual differences in leukocyte endothelial adhesion. PLoS One. 2014 February; 9(2):e87883. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0087883. PMID: 24520339; PMCID: PMC3919726.
  • Grassi MA, Rao V, Winkler KP, Zhang W, Bogaard JD, Chen S, LaCroix B, Lenkala D, Rehman J, Malik AB, Cox NJ, Huang RS. Genetic variation is the major determinant of individual differences in leukocyte endothelial adhesion. PLoS One. 2014 February; 9(2):e87883. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0087883. PMID: 24520339; PMCID: PMC3919726.
  • Wang AL, Rao VR, Chen JJ, Lussier YA, Rehman J, Huang Y, Jager RD, Grassi MA. Role of FAM18B in diabetic retinopathy. Mol Vis. 2014 August; 20:1146-59. PMID: 25221423; PMCID: PMC4124103.

2013

  • Rao VR, Upadhyay AK, Kompella UB. pH shift assembly of adenoviral serotype 5 capsid protein nanosystems for enhanced delivery of nanoparticles, proteins and nucleic acids. J Control Release. 2013 November; 172(1):341-350. doi: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2013.08.023. Epub 2013 Sep 1. PMID: 24004886.