Meena Jhanwar-Uniyal, Ph.D., started exploring brains at a very early age during her educational training in science. Her first brush with discovering happened while working as a M.S. student, where she demonstrated that hypothalamic neurotransmitter such as GABAergic system plays an important role in stress. Dr. Jhanwar-Uniyal's second discovery was her Ph.D. work where she established the role of Hippocampus in Memory and Learning Process as it pertains to Serotonergic. These findings secured her an award for the best science prize and secured her a Post-doc position at The Rockefeller University where she established the biochemical/molecular analysis of the distribution of brain catecholaminergic receptors (a1 and a2; ß; and DA1 and DA2) in the microdissected brain tissue samples and demonstrated a close link and rapid interaction between a circulating hormone (corticosterone) and brain neurotransmitter activity (a2-noradrenergic receptors controlling behavior. Following a short post-doctoral training, Dr. Jhanwar-Uniyal joined the faculty and rose to the rank of independent investigator at the Rockefeller University. Additionally, Dr. Jhanwar-Uniyal had identified the sequence specific promoter/enhancer region of first breast cancer gene BRCA1 gene in Human Breast Cancer and showed the role of tumor suppressor gene p53 and its interaction with PLK3 during cell cycle regulation.

At New York Medical College, Dr. Jhanwar-Uniyal established a laboratory in the Department of Neurosurgery, where she worked on precision medicine relating mTOR/PI3K pathway in GBM, genetic/therapeutic aspects of medulloblastoma and genetics/mechanistic aspects of metastatic brain tumors. Dr. Jhanwar-Uniyal developed and used novel aspects of regenerative medicine in spinal cord injury and her group established the understanding cancer stem cells of to use as therapeutic target. Dr. Jhanwar-Uniyal's laboratory also established the use of the innovative stem cell therapy in the treatment of spinal cord injury. Many of her mentees have received prestigious fellowship and awards.  

Education

• M.S., Ph.D., Molecular Neuroscience, Banaras Hindu University and Academy of Sciences
• Post-doc, The Rockefeller University

Honors and Awards

• 2021: Charlie Kuntz Scholar Award to Dr. Tolga Sursal, is awarded every year to neurosurgical residents or fellows who author outstanding research detailing a laboratory or clinical investigation in spinal cord disorders (Joint Section on Disorders of the Spine and Peripheral Nerves (DSPN) of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS).
• 2019: Mayfield Clinical Award to Mentee Dr. John Wainwright for Disorders of the Spine and Peripheral Nerves to the neurosurgical residents who author the outstanding manuscripts detailing a laboratory or clinical investigation in spinal or peripheral nerve disorders (Joint Section on Disorders of the Spine and Peripheral Nerves (DSPN) of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS).

Publications

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Teaching Responsibilities

• Rotating medical students are taught genetic basis of precision medicine, regenerative medicine and Cancer and neuronal stem cells.