Niraj Lodhi, PhD is the Assistant Professor of Pathology and Genomic Medicine at Thomas Jefferson University. He completed his doctoral degree in plant molecular biology from India and post-doctoral training at Fox Chase Cancer Center and Weill Cornell Medicine, NY. He has a diverse area of research experience from plant to rats and humans, but the common thread is epigenetics and epitranscriptomics regulation of transcriptional gene expression in different model system.
In his early career, Niraj investigated the role of epigenetic mechanisms in transcriptional regulation of Tobacco’s Pathogenesis Related-1a (PR-1a) gene. Since then, he has developed an interest in epigenetics and specifically in DNA methylation and epitrtanscriptomics. In his post-doctoral training, Niraj studied novel epigenetic functions of PARP1 and non-genetic inheritance of anxiety behavior in mice through DNA methylation and identified novel Differential Methylated Regions (DMRs) in anxiety related genes in the hippocampus.
His current studies are focused on exploring the roles played by epigenetic and epitranscriptomic mechanisms in mediating neurotoxicity from developmental Lead (Pb) exposures to rats. Ongoing studies in lab are examining molecular mechanisms of Pb toxicity and their modification by environmental characteristics such quality of maternal care and enriched housing environments. Niraj is also examining how early life Pb exposures cause dysregulation of m6A (RNA methylation) deposition on mRNAs, dynamic changes of DNA methylation in the different brain regions (hippocampus and frontal cortex) and altered gene transcription profiles.
In newly initiated studies, Niraj is exploring the extent to which the microbiome plays a role in determining the expression of memory deficits in Pb exposed animals. Previous work from his lab showed that environmental enrichment reverse Pb-altered transcriptional profiles in the hippocampus and prevent expression of memory deficits. He is now interested in assessing the extent to which Fecal Microbiota Transfer (FMT) from environmentally enriched Pb-exposed donors to non-enriched Pb-exposed recipients can mimic the positive effects of environmental enrichment in non-enriched animals. The data derived from this study will form the necessary basis for insightful hypothesis generation for future mechanistic studies as well as form the basis for future translational studies aimed at mitigating the adverse effects of developmental Pb exposures to children.
He is a member of Epigenetic Society, New York Academy of Sciences and review editor in Toxicogenomics Frontiers in Genetics.