Principal Investigator

RESEARCH

The Chemical Biology in Cancer Lab The Chemical Biology in Cancer Lab studies membrane proteins, including G protein-coupled receptors and other cell-surface signaling receptors, that regulate signalling pathways in cancer. We develop antibody- and nanobody-based platforms to modulate receptor activity and downstream signaling responses. To drive these efforts, we combine protein production, ligand and payload synthesis, site-specific conjugation chemistry, and pharmacological and cell-signaling assays to probe receptor function and guide new therapeutic strategies.

Membrane Protein Signaling in Cancer Membrane proteins mediate how cells sense and respond to their environment and are central to many aspects of tumor biology. Their location at the cell surface and broad therapeutic accessibility make them especially attractive targets in cancer. We are especially interested in G protein-coupled receptors and receptor tyrosine kinases, with work spanning receptor biology, pharmacology, and therapeutic development.

Antibody-Based Chemical Biology Platforms Single-domain antibodies (nanobodies) are an important part of our research platform for studying and modulating receptor signaling. These small, modular binding proteins are well suited for molecular engineering and provide versatile scaffolds for targeting membrane proteins with high specificity. We engineer nanobodies and related binding proteins as modular platforms that can be functionalized with peptides, ligands, and other payloads using chemical and enzymatic conjugation methods, complemented by pharmacological and cell-signaling assays.

Therapeutic Applications We develop therapeutic platforms that target membrane proteins in cancer. Our goal is to localize the activity of ligands and other functional payloads at the tumour cell surface, enabling more selective modulation of receptor function. This strategy aims to enhance therapeutic efficacy while limiting off-target effects by localizing activity to tumour-associated niches. To achieve this, we engineer antibody- and nanobody-based conjugates, immune-engaging modalities such as T/NK-cell engagers, and degradation-based therapeutic modalities.

A Multidisciplinary and Collaborative Approach Our research spans chemical biology, receptor pharmacology, protein engineering, and cancer immunotherapy. We take a multidisciplinary and collaborative approach to bridge mechanistic discovery and therapeutic design.

JOIN THE TEAM We invite motivated Master’s students and Project Assistants to join our group. We also welcome prospective PhD students and Postdoctoral Fellows who are enthusiastic about working in a multidisciplinary research environment in chemical biology and cancer. Interested candidates are requested to email their CV and a brief summary of research interests to shivani.sachdev[at]actrec[dot]gov[dot]in