Photo of { Umasundari Sivaprasad, PhD}

Umasundari Sivaprasad, PhD


  • Assistant Professor, UC Department of Pediatrics

About

Biography

Dr. Sivaprasad received dual BS degrees in microbiology and biochemistry (St. Xavier’s College), as well as an MS degree in biochemistry from the University of Mumbai, India. She then received her PhD degree in biochemistry from The Ohio State University in 2003 where she used surface plasmon resonance (Biacore™) technology and other biochemical methods to delineate the mechanism of prolactin binding to its cognate receptor. Her postdoctoral training in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics at the University of Virginia was focused on elucidating the molecular mechanisms that regulate formation of the pre-replication complex during DNA replication initiation along with studies examining the effect of statins on regulation of prostate cancer cell proliferation.

In 2007 Dr. Sivaprasad joined the Division of Asthma Research with a view to developing statins as an alternative to steroids as anti-inflammatory therapy in asthma and allergic diseases. Along the way, she has developed an interest in elucidating the role of serine protease inhibitors in allergic pathophysiology. Since joining the division she has served as first author or co-author on eight peer-reviewed publications.

The long-term goal of Dr. Sivaprasad’s research is to better understand the molecular basis of allergic diseases. To this end she is utilizing her broad repertoire of skills developed during her training to apply in vitro biochemical, molecular, as well as in vivo animal model approaches to her research questions, specifically the role of serine protease inhibitors at the epithelial barriers in the lung, skin, and intestine.

She has ongoing collaborations with investigators at the University of Pittsburgh and in the Divisions of Pulmonary Biology, Immunobiology, and Pathology at Cincinnati Children’s.

BS: St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai, India, 1993,

MS: The University of Mumbai, India, 1995,

PhD: The Ohio State University, 2003,

Interests

Allergic inflammation; atopic dermatitis; asthma; development of anti-inflammatory therapies.

Publications

IL-17A enhances IL-13 activity by enhancing IL-13-induced signal transducer and activator of transcription 6 activation. Hall, SL; Baker, T; Lajoie, S; Richgels, PK; Yang, Y; Mcalees, JW; Van Lier, A; Wills-Karp, M; Sivaprasad, U; Acciani, TH; Lecras, TD; Myers, JB; Kovacic, MB; Lewkowich, IP. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. 2017; 139(2):462-471.e14.

Rhinovirus infection results in stronger and more persistent genomic dysregulation: Evidence for altered innate immune response in asthmatics at baseline, early in infection, and during convalescence. Heymann, PW; Nguyen, H-T; Steinke, JW; Turner, RB; Woodfolk, JA; Platts-Mills, TAE; Martin, L; He, H; Biagini Myers, J; Lindsey, M; Carper, H; Murphy, DD; Patrie, J; Khurana Hershey, GK. PLoS ONE. 2017; 12(5):e0178096.

Endotypes of difficult-to-control asthma in inner-city African American children. Brown, KR; Krouse, RZ; Calatroni, A; Visness, CM; Sivaprasad, U; Kercsmar, CM; Matsui, EC; West, JB; Makhija, MM; Gill, MA; Busse, WW; Togias, A; Liu, AH; Khurana Hershey, GK. PLoS ONE. 2017; 12(7):e0180778.

Exposure to allergen and diesel exhaust particles potentiates secondary allergen-specific memory responses, promoting asthma susceptibility. Brandt, EB; Biagini Myers, JM; Acciani, TH; Ryan, PH; Sivaprasad, U; Ruff, B; Lemasters, GK; Bernstein, DI; Lockey, JE; Lecras, TD; Khurana Hershey, GK. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. 2015; 136(2):295-303.e7.

Genomic architecture of asthma differs by sex. Mersha, TB; Martin, LJ; Biagini Myers, JM; Kovacic, MB; He, H; Lindsey, M; Sivaprasad, U; Chen, W; Khurana Hershey, GK. Genomics. 2015; 106(1):15-22.

Oral human papillomavirus is common in individuals with Fanconi anemia. Sauter, SL; Wells, SI; Zhang, X; Hoskins, EE; Davies, SM; Myers, KC; Mueller, R; Panicker, G; Unger, ER; Sivaprasad, U; Brown, DR; Mehta, PA; Butsch Kovacic, M. Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention. 2015; 24(5):864-872.

N-acetyltransferase 1 polymorphism increases cotinine levels in Caucasian children exposed to secondhand smoke: the CCAAPS birth cohort. Lemasters, GK; Khurana Hershey, GK; Sivaprasad, U; Martin, LJ; Pilipenko, V; Ericksen, MB; Burkle, JW; Lindsey, MA; Bernstein, DI; Lockey, JE; Gareri, J; Lubetsky, A; Koren, G; Biagini Myers, JM. Pharmacogenomics Journal. 2015; 15(2):189-195.

SERPINB3/B4 contributes to early inflammation and barrier dysfunction in an experimental murine model of atopic dermatitis. Sivaprasad, U; Kinker, KG; Ericksen, MB; Lindsey, M; Gibson, AM; Bass, SA; Hershey, NS; Deng, J; Medvedovic, M; Khurana Hershey, GK. Journal of Investigative Dermatology. 2015; 135(1):160-169.

Multiple Transcriptome Data Analysis Reveals Biologically Relevant Atopic Dermatitis Signature Genes and Pathways. Ghosh, D; Ding, L; Sivaprasad, U; Geh, E; Biagini Myers, J; Bernstein, JA; Khurana Hershey, GK; Mersha, TB. PLoS ONE. 2015; 10(12):e0144316.

IL-13 receptor α2 contributes to development of experimental allergic asthma. Chen, W; Sivaprasad, U; Gibson, AM; Ericksen, MB; Cunningham, CM; Bass, SA; Kinker, KG; Finkelman, FD; Wills-Karp, M; Khurana Hershey, GK. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. 2013; 132(4):951-8.e1-6.