Medical & Surgical Urology
Open Access

Vasundara Venkateswaran

Biography

Dr.Vasundara Venkateswaran obtained her Ph.D from the University of Madras, India. She has had several years of research training at the Washington State University and the University of Kansas Medical Centre, USA. She was recruited to the Division of Urology, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in 2000 and was subsequently appointed as Assistant Professor, Department of Surgery, University of Toronto and Scientist, Division of Urology,Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in 2003. Dr.Venkateswaran is responsible for the setting up and management of the prostate cancer research laboratory since 2000. She has established a major initiative in the study of the cellular effects of micronutrients in prostate cancer.This initiative essentially started from scratch, has resulted in a burgeoning research program. Dr. Venkateswaran runs her initiative at the Prostate Cancer Research Laboratory that comprises of clinicians, fellows and Graduate students. Dr.Venkateswaran has a number of key publications in the field of micronutrients and prostate cancer in high impact peer reviewed journals. She has also presented her findings at several national and international meetings. Dr.Venkateswaran has established very productive collaborations with investigators throughout North America as well as locally in Toronto. She serves on the Editorial board of reputed journals. She has been highly successful in receiving peer reviewed operating grant support from the CIHR, PCC and CPCRI and NCIC.

Research Interest

Venkateswaran research interests are in the area of Translational research, Clinical Biochemistry and Molecular and cell biology.Her focus is on the cellular effects of diet, macronutrients and micronutrients with an aims at recognizing novel strategies for improvement of early detection, diagnosis and chemoprevention of prostate cancer. Specifically, she is studying the mechanisms involving the androgen receptor and the IGF signalling pathways and the role of micronutrients in enhancing the effect of hormonal and chemotherapeutic drugs used for prostate cancer prevention.