Defining physiological roles for oxidative stress and DNA damage in aging and tumorigenesis; cellular senescence; oncogenic transformation and signaling.
Dr. Rai's research program focuses on development of molecular strategies to activate tumor suppressor pathways in cancer cells through modulation of cellular redox status and DNA repair mechanisms. These mechanisms are typically enhanced in aggressive tumors to overcome intrinsic oncogenic stress arising from elevated levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) that mediate pro-malignant signaling