Curriculum Vitae

Dr. Manu Lopus, Ph.D. The Neuroscience Research Institute & Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology University of California, Santa Barbara CA-93106-9610 Phone: 805-280-6223 Email: lopus@lifesci.ucsb.edu Education 1. Ph.D., Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT Thesis: The Antiproliferative Mechanism of Action of Sanguinarine and Dolastatin 15: 2. Perturbation of Microtubule Assembly Dynamics Bombay), Mumbai, India 2007. M.Sc. in Zoology, St. Berchmans’ College, Mahatma Gandhi University, Kerala, India 2000, First Class. 3. B.Sc. in Chemistry, Botany and Zoology, St. Berchmans’ College, Mahatma Gandhi University, Kerala, India 1998, First Class. Grants and Fellowships 1. 2. 3. 4. Fellowship, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), New Delhi. Fellowship, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Govt. of India. Post-doctoral Fellowship, National Institute of Health, USA. GATE (Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering) Scholar, India. Awards and Honors 2009 Biography listed in ‘Marquis Who’s who in America’ 2008 Reviewer, Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics 2008 Fellow, Royal Society of Medicine (London) 2008 Member, Royal Microscopical Society (London) 2007 Full Member, Sigma Xi 2007 Reviewer, Free Radical Biology & Medicine 2006 Institute Citation for Best Organizer, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay. (For organizational and leadership activities during the years 2001-06) 2006 Best Research Scholar award, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (For Academic Excellence and Extracurricular Activities during the years 2001-06) 2005 Member of Senate, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (Represented Post-graduate and Doctoral students) 2005 Cell of the Year award for best image of cancer cell, Indian Society of Cell Biology. 2000 Human Rights Millennium Award, Indian Institute of Human Rights 1995 Rev. Mathew Pulikkaparampil Sacerdotal Silver Jubilee Memorial Award for Academic Excellence, St. Berchmans’ college, Kerala 1987 Mr. C.K. Thomas Memorial Award for Highest grade at School level Publications 1. Aneja R, Lopus M, Nettles JH, Panda D, Joshi HC (2005) Rational design of noscapine family members as microtubule-targeting anticancer drugs. Clinical Cancer Research 11, 9089S-9089S. 2. Manu Lopus and Dulal Panda (2006). A benzophenanthridine alkaloid sanguinarine perturbs microtubule assembly dynamics through tubulin binding: a possible mechanism for its antiproliferative activity. FEBS Journal 273, 2139-2150. 3. Ritu Aneja, Manu Lopus, Jun Zhou, Surya N. Vangapandu, Amr Ghaleb, Joyce Yao, James H. Nettles, Binfei Zhou, Meenakshi Gupta, Dulal Panda, Ramesh Chandra and Harish C. Joshi (2006) Rational design of a microtubule targeting anti-breast cancer drug, EM015. Cancer Research 66, 3782-3791. 4. Ritu Aneja, Surya N Vangapandu, Manu Lopus, Dulal Panda, and Harish C. Joshi (2006) Development of a novel nitro-derivative of noscapine for the potential treatment of drug-resistant ovarian cancer and T-cell lymphoma. Molecular Pharmacology, 69, 1801− 1809. 5. Ritu Aneja, Surya N Vangapandu, Manu Lopus, Vijaya G. Viswesarappa, Akhilesh Verma, Ramesh Chandra, Dulal Panda, and Harish Joshi (2006) Synthesis of microtubule-interfering halogenated noscapine analogs that perturb mitosis in cancer cells followed by cell death. Biochemical Pharmacology, 72, 415− 426 6. Vangapandu S, Aneja R, Lopus M, Panda D, Joshi HC (2006) Synthesis and biological evaluation of cyclic-ether analogs of noscapine that improved anti-tumor efficacy in vitro. Proceedings of American Chemical Society 231, 256. Book Chapters 1. Manu Lopus, Mythili Yenjerla, and Leslie Wilson (2008) Microtubule Dynamics. In Encyclopedia of Chemical Biology, Begley TP, Ed. Wiley, NJ (in press) Invited Talks 1. Microtubule dynamics and the effects of maytansinoids; Immunogen, Inc. Headquarters, Cambridge, MA (4 Jan, 2008) 2. Microtubule dynamics and anticancer drug development; St. Berchmans’ College, Kerala, India on (25 March 2008) 3. Immunoconjugated Drugs for Cancer Chemotherapy; Indian Institute of Technology Bombay on (28 March 2008). Conferences and Workshops 1. Lopus, M., Gupta, K. and Panda, D. (2003), Proceedings of the American Society for Cell Biology; San Fransisco, USA 2. Lopus, M., Gupta, K. and Panda, D. (2003), Proceedings of Indian Society of Cell Biology; University of Pune, India 3. Lopus, M. and Panda, D. (2004), Proceedings of International workshop on Cervical Cancer; National Centre for Biological Sciences, Bangalore, India 4. Lopus, M. and Panda, D. (2005), Proceedings of the American Society for Cell Biology, Washington DC, USA. 5. Aneja, R., Vangapandu, S.N., Zhou, B, Lopus, M. Nettles, J.H., Panda, D. and Joshi, H.C. (2005) AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics: Discovery, Biology, and Clinical Applications; Philadelphia, PA 6. Lopus, M (2005). International Symposium on Transnational Research: APOPTOSIS & CANCER, RGCB, Trivandrum, India 7. Lopus M, Rathinasamy, K, and Panda, D (2006). Proceedings of the American Society for Cell Biology, San Diego, USA. 8. Lopus M, Oroudjev E, Wilson L, Wilhelm H, Widdison W, Chari R, and Jordan MA (2008) Proceeding of the American Association for Cancer Research, San Diego, USA Membership in Professional Societies 1. 2. 3. 4. Member, American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB) Councilor, Public Policy Committee, ASCB Member, Indian Society of Cell Biology Member, International Postdoc Committee, National Postdoctoral Association, USA. 5. 6. Associate Member, American Association for Cancer Research. Full Member, Sigma Xi, USA. 7. Member, New York Academy of Sciences, USA. Popular Articles 1. Manu Lopus (2006) Microtubule targeted drugs for cancer chemotherapy, Science Advisory Board (www.scienceboard.org, perspective) 2. Manu Lopus (2007) Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2007: A closer Look, Science Advisory Board (www.scienceboard.org, perspective) 3. Manu Lopus (2008) Trends in Science and Medical Publishing: Video Journals, Science Advisory Board (www.scienceboard.org, perspective) 4. Manu Lopus (2008) Lifestyle Diseases and Gene Therapy, Malayala Manorama (the largest-circulated newspaper in India) Arogyam (online), Kerala, India. Teaching Experience 1. Teaching assistant (Cell Biology), B.Tech chemical engineering, IIT Bombay (2001-2002) 2. Teaching assistant, Lab (Biochemistry and Cell Biology), M.Sc. Biotechnology, IIT Bombay (2002-2003) Academic and Professional Interests My primary research interest is in the mechanism and regulation of microtubule dynamics in cancer cells, and in neurodegenerative diseases. In addition, I am investigating the mechanisms of action of microtubule-targeting anticancer agents, role of microtubule stabilizing agents in delaying the progression of neurodegenerative diseases, and the molecular mechanisms involved in cell division and cell death. Computer Proficiency Expertise in MS Office, Origin, Grafit, sigmaplot, Adobe Photoshop, Chemdraw, Corel draw, ImagePro Plus, Spectra Manager, Open Office, Linux Languages English, Spanish, Hindi, and Malayalam Creative Activities Play drums, Tennis Volunteer or Service Activities 1. Certified volunteer, National Service Scheme, India (Involved in rural development activities, education for the poor and similar social service activities) 2. Volunteer, Group of Rural Activities (GRA) and Unnati (two non-profit organizations in IIT Bombay, working for social welfare) (2003-2004) Extra/Co-curricular Activities • • • • • • Member, Post Graduate Program Committee (PGPC), IIT Bombay 2005-2006. Represented IIT Bombay in Public Awareness of Science program, Nehru Science Center. 2004. Chief Election Officer, Students General Election, IIT Bombay 2003 & Election Officer (2006). General Secretary, School of Biosciences and Bioengineering, IIT Bombay 2003. Sports Councilor, Hostel-1, IIT Bombay 2002. 1st DAN Black Belt, Shaolin Kung fu, Shaolin Martial Arts Academy, India. 2000