Lab News

Dr. Tao Lu was awarded by the United States Patent and Trademark Office for her innovation entitled “Small Molecule Protein Arginine Methyltransferase 5 (PRMT5) Inhibitor and Methods of Treatment”. This innovation was made together with her previous PhD student Dr. Lakshmi Prabhu. This innovation has opened a new avenue for the development of a novel class of drugs targeting hyperactive PRMT5 in different diseases, such as cancer. Indiana University is proudly ranked as #53 in the top 100 list of “Worldwide Universities Granted U.S. Utility Patents” in 2020. This patent award will further contribute and boost the 2021 worldwide patent ranking for Indiana University. June, 2021.

Our lab filed a United States Provisional Patent on “Repurposing FDA-approved drugs as a novel cancer therapeutic avenue through inhibitor of PRMT5”, with Drs. Tao Lu (PI), Lakshmi Prabhu, and Matthew Martin on the inventor list. Patent Application PCT/US2020-067694, filed Dec 31, 2020.

Congrats to Dr. Lu for being selected as the laureate for the "2020 IUSM Showalter Scholar" award. This is a distinguished title and honor for a faculty member. May, 2020

Antja-Voy Hartley received the K K Chen Fellowship award, a prestigious award rewarded to a Ph.D. student for academic achievement and scientific accomplishments from Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology at Indiana University School of Medicine. Fall 2019.

Antja-Voy Hartley received the IUPUI Travel Fellowship which supported her attendance to the Gordon Research Conference on Epigenetics in Holderness, NH in July 2019.

Congratulations to Matthew Martin for his successful Ph.D. thesis defense in May, 2019.

Congratulations to Antja-Voy Hartley for her successful Ph.D. thesis defense in May, 2019.

Matthew Martin received the IUPUI Travel Fellowship which supported his attendance to the Experimental Biology 2019 meeting in Orlando, Florida in Spring 2019.

Antja-Voy Hartley received the IU School of Medicine Graduate Student Travel Award. Fall 2018.

Antja-Voy Hartley won the Graduate Student Volunteer of the Year. Fall, 2018.

Lakshmi Prabhu received the K K Chen Fellowship award, a prestigious award rewarded to a Ph.D. student for academic achievement and scientific accomplishments from Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology at Indiana University School of Medicine. Fall 2018.

Lakshmi Prabhu, received the Erica Daniel Kepner Award for Scientific Achievement-Honorable Mention. This award is based upon a student's contributions to a single research manuscript as a first-author that has either been published or accepted for publication within the last academic calendar year. Her first-author manuscript in Molecular Biosystems (http://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2017/mb/c7mb00391a#!divAbstract), featured as the cover page of the issue, was selected for this award. Fall, 2018.

Antja-Voy Hartley received the Excellence in Basic Science Research Award from Indiana University School of Medicine Diversity Affairs. Fall 2018.

Congratulations to Lakshmi Prabhu for her successful Ph.D. thesis defense in May, 2018.

Lakshmi Prabhu was one of the Elite 50 graduate students and additionally received the Dr. Charles R. Bantz Excellence Award (a high-scoring Elite 50 awardee) recognized at IUPUI. Spring, 2018.

Anta-Voy Hartley received the AACR-Get Your Rear in Gear Philadelphia Scholar in Training Award supported by the Colon Cancer Coalition. Spring, 2018.

Antja-Voy Hartley was nominated by the Indiana University School of Medicine as the only applicant for NIH/NCI Predoctoral to Postdoctoral Transition Award (F99/K00). Spring, 2018.

Dr. Lu was invited as the Keynote Speaker at the 2nd World Congress on Cancer in Bologna, Italy. Summer, 2018.

Lakshmi Prabhu received the IUPUI Travel Fellowship which supported her attendance to the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) meeting in Chicago, Illinois in Spring 2018, where Lakshmi presented a scientific poster based on her dissertation work. She briefly describes her experience of attending this conference here: https://graduate.iupui.edu/admissions/financial-support/travel-recipients.html

Matthew Martin, Lakshmi Prabhu and Antja-Voy Hartley will present their work at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) annual meeting. Chicago, IL. Spring, 2018.

Dr. Lu was named as the co-Theme leader for “Epigenetic Gene Regulation and Transcription” in Experimental and Developmental Therapeutics (EDT) Program, Indiana University Simon Cancer Center (IUSCC). Spring, 2018.

Lakshmi Prabhu was selected as a graduate representative to attend the National Conference for Undergraduate Research 2018 at the University of Central Oklahoma for a recruitment fair for prospective students with a more seasoned graduate student. Spring, 2018.

Lakshmi Prabhu was selected to attend the Gordon Research Conference regarding cancer epigenetics, Holderness, NH. Fall, 2017.

Dr. Lu was funded with an NIH-NCI R03 grant on PRMT5 inhibitor and breast cancer research.

Lakshmi Prabhu won the IUSM Graduate Travel Award, Fall, 2017.

Antja-Voy Hartley won the IUSM Graduate Travel Award, Fall, 2017.

Antja-Voy Hartley won first place at Preparing Future Faculty & Professionals (PFFP) Conference. Indianapolis, IN. Fall, 2017.

Antja-Voy Hartley was selected as the Indiana University Student Representative at the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS), Phoenix, AZ. Fall, 2017.

Lakshmi Prabhu was selected for the prestigious Lilly Student Industry Xperience (SIX) experiential program. Fall, 2017.

Our lab filed an International Patent Application on “Small molecule protein arginine methyltransferase 5 (PRMT5) inhibitors and methods of treatment”, PCT/US2017/058572. Fall, 2017.

Dr. Lu won the Faculty Member of the Year Award from Indiana University School of Medicine. Fall, 2017.

Lakshmi Prabhu won the Graduate Student Volunteer of the Year, Honorable Mention. Fall, 2017.

Lakshmi Prabhu won the Erica Daniel Kepner Award for Scientific Achievement, Honorable Mention. Fall, 2017.

Lakshmi Prabhu was selected for an oral presentation at Biochemistry Day, IUSM. Fall, 2017.

Lakshmi Prabhu was elected as President and Treasurer of Scientific Toasters Toastmaster Club at Indiana University School of Medicine. 2017-2018.

Lakshmi Prabhu authored two research papers regarding using AlphaLISA high throughput screen to discover small molecule inhibitors of PRMT5 which were highlighted as priority papers and journal cover pages. Fall, 2017.

Dr. Lu was funded with an NIH-NIGMS R01 grant on epigenetic regulation of NF-KB. Fall, 2017.

Our lab filed a second provisional patent on PRMT5 small molecule inhibitors. Summer, 2017.

Antja-Voy Hartley served as the Pharmacology and Toxicology Student President & Journal Club Coordinator. 2017.

Lakshmi Prabhu won Best Poster in Basic Science Graduate Student Category at IU Simon Cancer Center Annual Cancer Research Day, Honorable Mention. Spring, 2017.

Dr. Lu was funded with the 100 Voice of Hope (VOH) award for breast cancer and drug resistance research. Spring, 2017.

Han Wei was the First Place recipient of the Bowman Award for Outstanding Publication from the Dept. of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Indiana University. December, 2016.

Our lab filed a provisional patent on PRMT5 small molecule inhibitors. Fall, 2016.

Lakshmi Prabhu won the IUSM Graduate Travel Award. Fall, 2016.

Lakshmi Prabhu won a Graduate-Professional Education Grant. Fall, 2016.

Lakshmi Prabhu was nominated by Indiana University School of Medicine as the only applicant for NIH/NCI Predoctoral to Postdoctoral Transition Award (F99/K00). Fall, 2016.

Dr. Lu won the Trustee Teaching Award, summer, 2016.

Lakshmi Prabhu was elected as President of the Student Association in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology. 2016-2017.

Matthew Martin serves as Student Ambassador for IBMG program student recruitment events. Spring 2016-present.

Lakshmi Prabhu was nominated by Indiana University School of Medicine as the only applicant for Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) International Student Research Fellowship. Spring, 2016.

Matthew Martin was elected as Vice President of Membership- Scientific Toasters at IUSM, Toastmasters International. 2015-present.

Dr. Lu was invited as an Honorary Keynote Speaker, The Larry Gentry Research Forum, University of Toledo School of Medicine, Toledo, OH. Fall, 2015.

Dr. Lu was selected as a recipient for the Elwert Award in Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine. Fall, 2015.

Dr. Lu was selected as the sole nominee for GlaxoSmithKline's Discovery Fast Track Challenge Award by Indiana University. Fall, 2015.

Dr. Lu won the Showalter Young Investigator Award. May, 2015.

Dr. Lu was funded with the V Foundation Kay Yow Cancer Fund. Spring, 2015.

Dr. Lu was nominated as the sole nominee for the National Pew Scholar Award in Cancer Research by Indiana University. Fall, 2014.

Dr. Lu won a Young Investigator Travel Award at the International Cytokine and Interferon Society Conference, Melbourne, Australia. Fall, 2014.

Han Wei won Second Place recipient of the Award in Basic Science, Postdoctoral/Medical Fellow Category, at the Indiana University Cancer Research Day. May, 2014.

Han Wei was selected as a Recipient of the Hal Broxmeyer and Victoria Champion Award for Outstanding Publication, Postdoctoral Category, at the Indiana University Cancer Research Day. May, 2014.

Rasika Mundade won the AACR IUSCC Travel Award. Spring, 2014.

Dr. Lu obtained a certificate for Fellow, Leadership in Academic Medicine Program (LAMP), Indiana University. Fall, 2013.

Two of Dr. Lu’s lab Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA papers were highlighted at F1000 Prime for high impact publication. Fall, 2013.

Dr. Lu won the Showalter Young Investigator Award. Spring, 2013.

Dr. Lu was awarded an American Cancer Society Institute Research Award. Fall, 2012.