Dr. Karthik Dhanabalan

Translational pharmacology scientist with 11+ years leading mechanistic and target-validation research in cardiometabolic and obesity-related disease. Expert in designing, executing, and interpreting in vivo efficacy, mechanism-of-action, PK/PD, and biomarker studies, and in integrating in vitro pharmacology, in vivo, and biomarker data to establish pharmacological understanding and drive data-driven discovery decisions. Deep domain knowledge of obesity and metabolic disease, insulin resistance and diabetes, atherosclerosis, lipid metabolism, HDL dysfunction, and diabetic vascular disease.

Skilled across target validation, mechanism studies, multi-omic data generation (transcriptomics/RNAseq, LC-MS/MS lipidomics and metabolomics, flow cytometry), and biomarker assay development. Experienced mentoring scientists and leading cross-functional and external collaborations with medicinal-chemistry, analytical, and clinical partners. 14 peer-reviewed publications; 308+ citations. Ph.D. in Biotechnology.

Postdoctoral Research Associate - Cardiovascular Research Center, Brown University Health - Providence, RI

(2023-11)

Provide scientific leadership for cardiometabolic and obesity-relevant discovery research, integrating in vitro pharmacology, in vivo efficacy, and biomarker data to establish mechanism and proof-of-concept and guide data-driven decisions.

• Design, execute, and interpret in vivo pharmacology studies in cardiometabolic disease models (Lp(a) transgenic mice on high-fat diet, 2-HOBA intervention), including compound dosing (oral gavage, IP), efficacy and biomarker endpoints, and LC-MS/MS-based PK and metabolic-stability analysis.
• Lead in vitro pharmacology across cardiomyoblast (H9c2), vascular smooth muscle, macrophage, and hepatocyte models, probing mechanism and dose-response to lipid mediators and oxidative stressors.
• Develop and validate quantitative biomarker assays (E06-based and NeutrAvidin-HRP sandwich ELISA), establishing QC frameworks for multi-sample clinical use.
• Serve as primary scientific liaison to external academic and clinical collaborators for two active cardiovascular clinical studies (NCT06494488; NCT07198009), integrating bench and clinical findings.
• Mentor and develop 8 scientists (high-school through master's level) across in vivo, molecular, and analytical techniques, fostering scientific rigor and independence.

Postdoctoral Research Fellow - Vanderbilt University Medical Center - Nashville, TN

(2021-02 - 2023-10)

Led discovery-stage mechanistic and target-validation research on lipoprotein-mediated cellular dysfunction and thrombosis, generating RNAseq/transcriptomic, flow cytometry, and functional data to define disease mechanisms (first-author publication).

• Partnered with external medicinal-chemistry laboratories on structure-activity-relationship (SAR) screening of small-molecule scavengers in macrophage inflammation models, supporting preclinical lead optimization and target validation.
• Characterized oxidized lipid and lipoprotein species (LDL, HDL, VLDL, Lp(a)) by density-gradient ultracentrifugation and LC-MS/MS, integrating lipid biology with functional disease outcomes.

Postdoctoral Research Fellow - University of Iowa - Iowa City, IA

(2019-07 - 2021-01)

Validated BAG3 as a therapeutic target in diabetic vascular disease, integrating AAV-mediated in vivo gene delivery with siRNA/plasmid knockdown in primary human cells and quantitative efficacy endpoints (necrosis score, perfusion, regeneration).

• Executed hindlimb-ischemia survival surgery with quantitative endpoints (laser-Doppler perfusion recovery, contractile function) to establish in vivo proof-of-concept.

Postdoctoral Research Fellow - University of Tennessee Health Science Center - Memphis, TN

(2018-08 - 2019-06)

Defined how type 2 diabetes reprograms post-ischemic gene expression in experimental peripheral artery disease using in vivo models and transcriptional profiling.

Postdoctoral Research Fellow - Stellenbosch University - Stellenbosch, South Africa

(2015-02 - 2018-03)

Led ex vivo cardiac pharmacology using Langendorff isolated-heart perfusion under ischemia-reperfusion, evaluating pharmacological interventions (chloroquine, long-term melatonin) on cardiac function, mitochondrial bioenergetics, and cardioprotection in high-fat-diet obese models.

Ph.D. - Biotechnology - Annamalai University (2009 - 2013)

M.Phil. - Biotechnology - Bharathidasan University (2007 - 2009)

M.Sc. - Biochemistry - Bharathidasan University (2005 - 2007)

B.Sc. - Biochemistry - Bharathidasan University (2002 - 2005)