Mahua Choudhury, PhD, Texas A&M University
Mahua Choudhury is Associate Professor in the Pharmaceutical Sciences Department of Texas A&M University. Dr. Mahua Choudhury received her Ph.D. in Medical Pharmacology from University of Missouri followed by American Diabetes Association fellowship at Colorado Children’s Hospital. Her research focuses on epigenetic biomarkers and regulations of human diseases, including interdisciplinary epigenetic translational projects (31 funded projects as PI or Co-PI). She has twice received the Bill and Melinda Gates Grand Challenge Award, and her work has been highlighted in the media (BBC, New York Times). She has published 51 articles and 8 book chapters and trained several postdocs and students who are now well established in academia and industry. Her two submitted patents are in consideration for marketing by multinational companies.
Epigenetic Biomarkers and Future in Drug Development
Epigenetic changes in the cells or extracellular fluid underlie the development of human diseases can
predict the diseases ahead of any symptoms. These changes include DNA methylation changes
throughout the genome, post-translational chromatin modifications, and several non-coding RNA
alterations. Identification of these alterations for use as predictive and prognostic biomarkers has been
a highly sought-after goal. Recent advances in the field have not only greatly expanded our knowledge
of the epigenetic changes in diseases but also demonstrated their significant clinical utility as
biomarkers. These biomarkers have proved to be useful for identifying patients who might be on high
risk of developing diseases. On the other hand, biomarkers augment the success rate of drug
development and thereby accelerate the availability of new therapeutics.