Veena Padmanaban

2025 Regional Award Winner — Post-Doc

Veena Padmanaban

Current Position:
Postdoctoral Fellow

Institution:
The Rockefeller University

Discipline:
Molecular & Cellular Biology

Recognized for: Discovering a critical cross-talk mechanism between sensory nerves and breast cancer cells, establishing neurons as novel drivers of breast cancer metastasis and uncovering actionable therapeutic targets.


Areas of Research Interest and Expertise:
Cancer Cell Biology, Metastasis Biology, Cancer, Neuroscience

Previous Positions:

Undergraduate Researcher, Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, India (Advisor: Nitish R. Mahapatra)
M.S., Johns Hopkins University (Advisor: Andrew J. Ewald)
Ph.D, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (Advisor: Andrew J. Ewald)

Research Summary:

Scientists have long known that nerves can extend into tumors. Yet, the role of the nervous system in the progression of breast cancer — the most common cancer worldwide —remained a mystery. Dr. Veena Padmanaban has discovered that the activation of sensory nerves within breast tumors is crucial in promoting not only cancer growth but also its spread, known as metastasis. Breast tumors hijack nearby sensory nerves to become hyperactive and release a neuropeptide called substance P, setting off a chain reaction that makes cancer cells more likely to spread. Crucially, Padmanaban’s work also shows that this harmful nerve–cancer communication can be blocked using an existing anti-nausea drug called aprepitant, presenting a promising therapeutic opportunity.

“Some of cancer’s most dangerous allies are hiding in plain sight. My work uncovers how nerves support metastasis—and aims to reveal new ways to disrupt these hidden networks and stop cancer in its tracks.””

Key Publications:

  1. V. Padmanaban, I. Keller, E. Seltzer, B. Ostendorf, Z. Kerner, S.F. Tavazoie. Neuronal substance P drives metastasis through an extracellular RNA-TLR7 axis. Nature, 2024.
  2. V. Padmanaban, I. Krol, Y. Suhail, B.M. Szczerba, N. Aceto, J.S. Bader, A.J. Ewald. E-cadherin is required for metastasis in multiple models of breast cancer. Nature 2019.
  3. V. Padmanaban, K.J. Cheun, E.M. Grasset, N.M. Neumann, A.K. Fraser, E. Henriet, W. Matsui, P.T. Tran, D. Georgess, A.J. Ewald. Organotypic culture assays for murine and human primary and metastatic-site tumors. Nature Protocols 2020.
  4. V. Padmanaban, Y. Tsehay, K.J. Cheung, A.J. Ewald, J.S. Bader. Between-tumor and within-tumor heterogeneity in invasive potential. PLoS Computational Biology 2020. 

Other Honors:

2025 Breakout Prize for Junior Investigators
2025 Susan Komen Career Transition Award
2025 Mass General KF-CCR Rising Star Award
2024 Career Development Award, Rockefeller University’s PDA
2021-2024 Hope Funds for Cancer Research Postdoctoral Fellowship
2019 The Merton Bernfield Memorial Award, ASCB
2019 The Porter Prize for Research Excellence (honorable mention), ASCB
2019 The Nupur Dinesh Thekdi Young Investigator Award, JHUSoM
2018-2019 Isaac Morris Hay and Lucille Elizabeth Hay Graduate Fellowship Award, JHUSoM
2009-2013 Founder’s Scholarship, SRM University

In the Media:

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