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Specialty:: Pathology
Pathology, Hematology
Department Affiliation:: Pathology
Hospital Affiliation:: Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center
State License:: A89461
Phone:: 310-825-1717
Health Plans:: Accepted Plans

About Me: Dinesh S. Rao received a B.S. summa cum laude in Biochemistry and an M.D. from Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, USA. During this time he developed a deep interest in the pathogenesis of cancer, completing several projects in cancer research during medical school, and went on to a research fellowship at the University of Michigan. There, he made a seminal discovery implicating clathrin mediated trafficking of growth factor receptor tyrosine kinases in the pathogenesis of oncogenic transformation. He then combined clinical training in the pathology of hematologic diseases with further research training in the laboratory of Nobel laureate David Baltimore at Caltech. His research came to focus on the involvement of microRNAs in hematologic development, particularly B-cell development and immunity, and cancer, and resulted in several high-impact publications in well-regarded journals. His research interests include how microRNAs and other non-coding RNAs regulate hematopoietic development and cancer. He combines running a vibrant research laboratory with a busy diagnostic service in leukemia and lymphoma pathology.
Links: pathology.ucla.edu

Medical Board Certifications: Pathology - Anatomic, American Board of Pathology, 2005
Certification 2: Hematopathology, American Board of Pathology, 2017
Degree: Case Western Reserve Univ School of Medicine, MD, 2000
California Institute of Technology, PhD, 2010

Research Interests

Normal hematopoietic and lymphoid development
Pathogenesis of hematolymphoid malignancies

Publications

Rao DS, Chang JC, Kumar PD, Mizukami IF, Smithson G, Bradley SV, Parlow AF, Ross TS, (2001). “Huntingtin Interacting Protein 1 is a clathrin coat binding protein required for the differentiation of late spermatogenic progenitors”. Molecular and Cellular Biology, 21(22): 7796-7806.
Rao DS, Hyun TS, Kumar PD, Mizukami IF, Lucas P, Rubin M, Sanda M, Ross TS (2002). “Huntingtin-interacting protein 1 is over-expressed in prostate and colon cancer and is critical for cellular survival.” Journal of Clinical Investigation, 110: 351-360.
Rao DS, Bradley SV, Kumar PD, Hyun TS, Saint-dic DS, Oravecz-Wilson KI, Kleer CG, Ross TS (2003). “Altered Receptor Trafficking in Huntingtin-Interacting Protein 1-transformed cells”. Cancer Cell, 3: 471-482.
Hyun TS, Rao DS, Saint-Dic D, Evan Michael L, Kumar PD, Bradley SV, Mizukami IF, Oravecz-Wilson KI, Ross TS (2004). HIP1 and HIP1r stabilize receptor tyrosine kinases and bind 3-phosphoinositides via ENTH domains. Journal of Biological Chemistry. 279(14):14294-306.
Oravecz-Wilson KI, Kiel MJ, Li L, Rao DS, Saint-Dic D, Kumar PD, Provot MM, Hankenson KD, Reddy VN, Lieberman AP, Morrison SJ, Ross TS (2004). Huntingtin Interacting Protein 1 mutations lead to abnormal hematopoiesis, spinal defects and cataracts. Human Molecular Genetics. 13(8):851-67.
Rao DS, Goldin JG, Fishbein MC (2005). Determinants of plaque instability in atherosclerotic vascular disease. Cardiovascular Pathology. Nov-Dec;14(6):285-93.
Rao DS, Infeld MD, Stern RC, Chelimsky TC (2006). Cough-induced hemiplegic migraine with impaired consciousness in cystic fibrosis. Pediatric Pulmonology. 41(2):171-6.
Kaluza V, Rao DS, Said JW, de Vos S (2006). Primary extranodal nasal-type natural killer/T-cell lymphoma of the brain: a case report. Human Pathology. 37(6):769-72.
Pham PH, Rao DS, Vasunilashorn F, Fishbein MC, Goldin JG (2006). Computed Tomography Calcium Quantification as a Measure of Atherosclerotic Plaque Morphology and Stability. Invest Radiol. 41(9):674-680.
Rao DS, Gui D, Koski ME, Popoviciu LM, Wang H, Reiter RE, Said JW (2006). An Inverse Relation Between COX-2 and E-cadherin Expression Correlates With Aggressive Histologic Features in Prostate Cancer. Appl Immunohistochem Mol Morphol. 14(4):375-383.
O'Connell RM, Rao DS, Chaudhuri AA, Boldin MP, Taganov KD, Nicoll J, Paquette RL, Baltimore D (2008). Sustained expression of microRNA-155 in hematopoietic stem cells causes a myeloproliferative disorder. J Experimental Medicine, 205(3):585-94.
Pullarkat ST, Vardiman JW, Slovak ML, Rao DS, Rao NP, Bedell V, Said JW (2008). Megakaryocytic blast crisis as a presenting manifestation of chronic myeloid leukemia. Leukemia Research. 32(11):1770-5.
O’Connell RM*, Chaudhuri AA*, Rao DS*, Baltimore D (2009). Inositol phosphatase SHIP1 is a primary target of miR-155. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 106:7113-8 (*Joint first authorship).
Rao DS, O’Connell RM, Chaudhuri AA, Garcia-Flores Y, Geiger T, Baltimore D (2010). MicroRNA-34a perturbs B-cell development by targeting the Forkhead transcription factor Foxp1. Immunity, 33(1):48-59.
O'Connell RM, Chaudhuri AA, Rao DS, Gibson WS, Balazs AB, Baltimore D (2010). “MicroRNAs enriched in hematopoietic stem cells differentially regulate long-term hematopoietic output”. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, Epub Jul 26 2010.
O'Connell RM, Balazs AB, Rao DS, Kivork C, Yang L, Baltimore D (2010). “Lentiviral Vector Delivery of Human Interleukin-7 (hIL-7) to Human Immune System (HIS) Mice Expands T Lymphocyte Populations.” PLoS ONE 5(8): e12009. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0012009.
Rao DS and Said JW (2007) “Small lymphoid proliferations in extranodal locations”. Archives of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. 131(3):383–396 . Baltimore D, Boldin MP, O'Connell RM, Rao DS, Taganov KD (2008). “MicroRNAs: new regulators of immune cell development and function.” Nature Immunology. 9(8):839-45.
O'Connell RM, Rao DS, Chaudhuri AA, Baltimore D. (2010) “Physiological and pathological roles for microRNAs in the immune system”. Nature Reviews Immunology. 10(2):111-22.
Rao DS, O’Connell RM, Chaudhuri AA, Garcia-Flores Y, Geiger T, Baltimore D (2010). MicroRNA-34a perturbs B-cell development by targeting the Forkhead transcription factor Foxp1. Immunity, 33(1):48-59.
O'Connell RM, Chaudhuri AA, Rao DS, Gibson WS, Balazs AB, Baltimore D (2010). “MicroRNAs enriched in hematopoietic stem cells differentially regulate long-term hematopoietic output”. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 107(32):14235-40.
O'Connell RM, Balazs AB, Rao DS, Kivork C, Yang L, Baltimore D (2010). “Lentiviral Vector Delivery of Human Interleukin-7 (hIL-7) to Human Immune System (HIS) Mice Expands T Lymphocyte Populations.” PLoS ONE 5(8): e12009. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0012009.
O’Connell RM, Kahn D, Gibson WSJ, Round JL, Scholz RL, Chaudhuri AA, Kahn ME, Rao DS, Baltimore D (2010). MicroRNA-155 promotes autoimmune inflammation by enhancing inflammatory T cell development. Immunity, 33(4):607-19.
Boldin MP, Taganov KD, Rao DS, Yang L, Zhao JL, Kalwani M, Garcia-Flores Y, Luong M, Devrekanli A, Xu J, Sun G, Tay J, Linsley PS, Baltimore D (2011). “miR-146a is a significant brake on autoimmunity, myeloproliferation, and cancer in mice.” J Exp Med, 208(6):1189-201.
Zhao JL*, Rao DS*, Boldin MP, Taganov KD, O’Connell RM, Baltimore D (2011). “NF-kB activation in miR-146a deficient mice leads to myeloid malignancy.” Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 108(22):9184-9. (*Joint first authorship).
Balasz AB, Chen J, Hong CM, Rao DS, Yang L, Baltimore D (2012). “Antibody-based protection against HIV infection by vectored immunoprophylaxis.” Nature, 481(7379):81-4.
Chaudhuri AA, So AY, Mehta A, Minisandram A, Sinha N, Jonsson VD, Rao DS, O'Connell RM, Baltimore D (2012). “Oncomir miR-125b regulates hematopoiesis by targeting the gene Lin28A.” Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 109(11):4233-8.
Hur EM, Patel SN, Shimizu S, Rao DS, Gnanapragasam PN, An DS, Yang L, Baltimore D (2012). “Inhibitory effect of HIV-specific neutralizing IgA on mucosal transmission of HIV in humanized mice.” Blood, 120(23):4571-82.
Pigazzi M, Manara E, Bresolin S, Tregnago C, Beghin A, Baron E, Giarin E, Cho EC, Masetti R, Rao DS, Sakamoto KM, Basso G (2013). “MiR-34b promoter hypermethylation induces CREB overexpression and contributes to myeloid transformation.” Hematologica, 98(4):602-10.
Zhao JL, Rao DS, O’Connell RM, Garcia-Flores Y, Baltimore D (2013). “MicroRNA-146a acts as a guardian of the quality and longevity of hematopoietic stem cells in mice” eLife; May 21;2:e00537. doi: 10.7554/eLife.00537. Print 2013.
Balasz AB, Bloom JD, Hong CM, Rao DS, Baltimore D (2013). “Broad Protection Against Influenza by Vectored ImmunoProphylaxis”. Nature Biotechnology, 31(7):647-5. 2doi: 10.1038/nbt.2618. [Epub ahead of print].
Basak SK, Veena MS, Oh S, Lai C, Vangala S, Elashoff D, Fishbein MC, Sharma S, Rao NP, Rao D, Phan R, Srivatsan ES, Batra RK (2013). “The CD44(high

Awards

Kimmel Translational Scholar Award, July 2011
Stein-Oppenheimer Endowment Award, July 2011
Robert C. Byrd Scholar, Case Western Reserve University
Provost Scholar, Case Western Reserve University
Phi Beta Kappa
Harland G. Wood Prize, Best Undergraduate student in Biochemistry
Joseph S. Silber Fellow, American Cancer Society
Department of Neurology Award, Best Medical Student in Neurology
Research Fellow, Huntington’s Disease Society of America
Fellow, Specialty Training and Advanced Research (STAR), UCLA Daljit S. and Elaine Sarkaria Fellow in Disease Research and Clinical Innovation, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, UCLA
Joanne Levy, M.D., Memorial Award for Outstanding Achievement
American Society of Hematology, December 2007

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