A photo of SK Dey.

Sudhansu K. Dey, PhD

  • Lova Riekert Chair, Cancer and Cell Biology
  • Director, Division of Reproductive Sciences
  • Professor, UC Department of Pediatrics

About

Biography

I joined the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center team in 2008 as the Lova Reikert Chair and professor of pediatrics within the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. During this time, I started the new Division of Reproductive Sciences.

Prior to my appointment at Cincinnati Children’s, I received my postdoctoral training at the University of Kansas Medical Center. Following that training, I was appointed to the faculty and rose to the rank of University Distinguished Professor. In 2002, I moved to Vanderbilt University as a Dorothy Overall Wells professor of pediatrics, cell and developmental biology and pharmacology. At both institutions, I directed National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded reproductive biology training grants.

Throughout my career, my focus has been to help define the molecular road map to embryo-uterine interactions during pregnancy. The quality of pregnancy helps determine how each child grows and develops throughout their lifetime. Better understanding these interactions during pregnancy can help improve the health of both mother and child while also preventing complications like preterm birth.

My research spans various aspects of reproduction, including:

  • Aspects of preterm birth and its prevention
  • How progressive aging leads to term birth
  • The regulation of miRNA and Cox-2 in uterine biology and cancer
  • The molecular and genetic basis of epithelial ovarian cancer with special reference to prostaglandin-PPAR signaling
  • The relationship between phosphatase and tensin homolog (Pten) and uterine carcinoma
  • The role of endocannabinoid signaling during early pregnancy
  • Understanding how defective embryo implantation creates adverse effects that ripple throughout pregnancy and compromise pregnancy success

In 2008, I received the lifetime achievement award from the Society of Study of Reproduction (SSR). I have also received the International IVI Congress award for best contribution to reproductive medicine. I was elected as an American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) fellow, and I have simultaneously received two NIH MERIT awards.

I have published over 450 papers, including numerous book chapters. Currently, I serve on several editorial boards and NIH Study Sections and advisory committees. I have also helped organize, been honored at, and lectured at many national and international meetings and symposia.

BSc: Presidency College, Calcutta, India, 1965.

MSc: University of Calcutta, India, 1967.

PhD: University of Calcutta, India, 1972.

Interests

Prostaglandin-nuclear receptor-angiogenic signaling axis during embryo implantation with special emphasis to cPLA2α-Cox2-PPARδ-Vegf network in the uterus; cytokine-growth factor-homeobox-morphogen signaling axis in implantation involving Lif-Hb-Egf-Hoxa10/Msx1-Ihh/Bmp/Wnt network in the uterus; immunophilin/cochaperone-nuclear signaling in the mouse uterus during implantation involving Fkbp52-PR; ligand-receptor signaling with endocannabinoids during the periimplantation events in mice in the context of anandamide interacting with G-protein coupled receptors, CB1 and CB2; molecular and genetic basis of epithelial ovarian cancer with special reference to prostaglandin-PPAR signaling; miRNA and Cox-2 regulation in uterine biology and cancer; Pten and uterine carcinoma: conditionally gene deleted mouse models

Research Areas

Reproductive Sciences, Developmental Biology

Publications

In situ imaging reveals disparity between prostaglandin localization and abundance of prostaglandin synthases. Duncan, KD; Sun, X; Baker, ES; Dey, SK; Lanekoff, I. Communications Biology. 2021; 4.

High-resolution imaging and identification of biomolecules using Nano-DESI coupled to ion mobility spectrometry. Unsihuay, D; Yin, R; Sanchez, DM; Yang, M; Li, Y; Sun, X; Dey, SK; Laskin, J. Analytica Chimica Acta. 2021; 1186.

Cannabinoid and planar cell polarity signaling converges to direct placentation. Kim, YS; Li, Y; Yuan, J; Borg, JP; Sun, X; Dey, SK. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 2021; 118.

Imaging and Analysis of Isomeric Unsaturated Lipids through Online Photochemical Derivatization of Carbon-Carbon Double Bonds*. Unsihuay, D; Su, P; Hu, H; Qiu, J; Kuang, S; Li, Y; Sun, X; Dey, SK; Laskin, J. Angewandte Chemie - International Edition. 2021; 60:7559-7563.

An Integrated Microfluidic Probe for Mass Spectrometry Imaging of Biological Samples*. Li, X; Yin, R; Hu, H; Li, Y; Sun, X; Dey, SK; Laskin, J. Angewandte Chemie - International Edition. 2020; 59:22388-22391.

Automated mass spectrometry imaging of over 2000 proteins from tissue sections at 100-μm spatial resolution. Piehowski, PD; Zhu, Y; Bramer, LM; Stratton, KG; Zhao, R; Orton, DJ; Moore, RJ; Yuan, J; Mitchell, HD; Gao, Y; et al. Nature Communications. 2020; 11.

Pregnancy success in mice requires appropriate cannabinoid receptor signaling for primary decidua formation. Li, Y; Dewar, A; Kim, YS; Dey, SK; Sun, X. eLife. 2020; 9.

Uterine deficiency of high-mobility group box-1 (HMGB1) protein causes implantation defects and adverse pregnancy outcomes. Aikawa, S; Deng, W; Liang, X; Yuan, J; Bartos, A; Sun, X; Dey, SK. Cell Death and Differentiation. 2020; 27:1489-1504.

Scribble promotes alveologenesis in the pregnant mammary gland for milk production. Aikawa, S; Yuan, J; Dewar, A; Sun, X; Dey, SK. Reviews of Reproduction. 2020; 159:719-731.

Primary decidual zone formation requires Scribble for pregnancy success in mice. Yuan, J; Aikawa, S; Deng, W; Bartos, A; Walz, G; Grahammer, F; Huber, TB; Sun, X; Dey, SK. Nature Communications. 2019; 10.