Vaijayanti V PETHE

TEL : (416) 987 1220 / (416) 648 3171

EMAIL: pethe@lunenfeld.ca; vp98b360@westpost.net
33 Sheppard Avenue East, Unit 601, Toronto, ON Canada

RESEARCH INTERESTS
Disease Biomarker discovery/ Cancer etiology and signaling pathways/ Stem cell r
esearch /Basic and Translational research/Novel technology, diagnostic test deve
lopment/Regenerative medicine
ACADEMIC INTERESTS
Perform lab experiments/Mentoring, technology transfer to junior staff, lab stud
ents, lab/ project management, reviewing and editing scientific journal articles
EDUCATION
Ph.D : Molecular Biology; M.Phil/M.Sc/ BSc: Biochemistry
All degrees were procured from University of Poona, India
CURRENT EMPLOYMENT
2003- Present : Research Associate, Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute, Mount
Sinai Hospital, Toronto, ON
2001-2003 : PDF, Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toro
nto, ON
SKILLS
LIFE SCIENCE/MOLECULAR LAB RELATED SKILLS
Extensive hands-on experience in a wide variety of molecular biology techniques:
(Colon, Prostate, Breast Cancer)
- DNA: DNA extractions from various human tissues (fresh frozen, FFPE, cell line
s). Cloning/ Sub-cloning, PCR technology,
RFLP analysis, Site-directed mutagenesis, DNA sequencing, Southern blots, EMSAs
(gel- shift assays), Microsatellite instability
analysis. Transformations, Reporter assays, SNP genotyping (TaqMan-based alleli
c discrimination assays)
- RNA: RNA isolation, RT-PCR, Northern blots, miRNA isolation from human tissues
-Protein: Western blots, Stripping and multiple re-probing of blots, Cyto-nuclea
r fractionation, Immunoprecipitation, Chromatin Immunoprecipitation(ChIP), PBD/
Rac1 activation assay
- Tissue culture: Primary tissue culture techniques (human normal/cancer cell li
nes- colon, breast, prostate) including maintenance and propagation of cell line
s, transient transfections, generation of stable/inducible cell lines
- Tissue microarrays
- Epigenetics- MSPCR, Quantitative MethyLight assays, Probe generation (hyper/hy
po targets) for CpG microarray analysis
ACADEMIC RESEARCH RELATED SKILLS
- Designed, planned and coordinated in-house projects
- Processed Institutional Research Board (REB) applications/amendments/ annual r
enewal and termination applications for multiple research projects and centers
- Acted as PIs liaison to process Material Tissue Agreements (MTA) applications
between different study centers
- Processed applications for patient consent to recruit patients for a proposed
study
- Kept a track of accounts and lab expenses
-Assisted in writing annual progress reports for granting agencies
ORGANIZATIONAL SKILLS
-Ability to work with an interdisciplinary research team including clinicians, a
dministrators, bio-statisticians, laboratory staff
and scientists
-Proven scientific/ technical writing, experimental trouble shooting, teaching (
laboratory) skills, trained and supervised several under- graduate summer stud
ents, peer-reviewed journal articles, managed experimental design
- Ability to identify important literature, read, comprehend and apply to experi
ments
- Well- organized, detail-oriented, meticulous and proactive
-Desire to learn new skills/ techniques/ protocols
LANGUAGES
Fluency in English, Marathi and Hindi

PAST WORK EXPERIENCE

2000-2001: Medical Transcriptionist, Webcom Infotech Ltd, Mumbai, India
1997-1999: Research Associate, Department of Breast Cancer Research, Karmanos Ca
ncer Institute, Detroit, MI
1994-1997: Post Doctoral Research Fellow, Department of Molecular Biology, Unive
rsity of Nevada, Reno
1992-1993 : Post Doctoral Research Fellow, Department of Microbiology, Universit
y of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN

PUBLICATIONS
1.Pethe VV, Charames GS, Bapat B (2010) Novel insights into Rac1bGTPase regulati
on of Wnt signaling in colon cancer
Submitted for publication to BMC Cancer
2. Ken Kron, Liyang Liu, Vaijayanti V Pethe, Nino Demetrashvili, Michael Nesbit,
John Trachtenberg, Hilmi Ozcelik, Neil Fleshner, Laurent Briollais, Theodorus v
an der Kwast, and Bharati Bapat (2010) DNA methylation of HOXD3 as a marker of
prostate cancer progression. Laboratory Investigation 90(7) 1060-7
3. K Kron, V Pethe, L Briollais, B Sadikovic, H Ozcelik, A. Sunderji, V Venkates
waran, J Pinthus, N Fleshner, T van der Kwast, and B Bapat (2009) Discovery of n
ovel hypermethyltated genes in Prostate Cancer using genomic CpG island microarr
ays. PLoS One, 4(3) e4830
4. N Demetrashvili, K Kron, V Pethe, B Bapat, and L Briollais (2010) How to deal
with Batch Effect in Sequential Microarray Experiments? Molecular Informatics 2
9(5), 387-393
5. M Mrkonjic, NM Roslin, CM Greenwood, S Raptis, A Pollet, PW Laird, VV Pethe,
T Chiang, D Daftary, E Dicks, S Gallinger, PS Parfery, BH Younghusband, JD Potte
r, TJ Hudson, JR McLaughlin, RC Green, BW Zanke, PA Newcomb, AD Paterson and B B
apat (2010) Specific variants in MLH1 Gene Region Contribute to DNA Methylation,
Loss of Protein Expression and MSI-H Colorectal Cancer In preparation
6. M Mrkonjic, E Chappell, V Pethe, D Daftary, S Gallinger, M Manno, B Bapat (20
09) Association of Apolipoprotein E (ApoE) Polymorphisms and Dietary factors in
Colorectal Cancer . Br J Cancer 100(12), 1966-74
7. P. Buongiorno, V V Pethe, G S Charames, S Esufali and B Bapat (2008) Rac1GTPa
se and Rac1 exchange factor Tiam- 1 associate with Wnt-responsive promoters to e
nhance -catenin/TCF dependent transcription in Colorectal Cancer cells. Molecula
r Cancer, 7:73
8. V. Pethe and B Bapat (2008) Molecular genetic etiology of Prostate Cancer. Th
e Open Genomics Journal Vol 1, 13-21
9. B C Dickson, V. Pethe, C. Chung, D. Howarth,J Bilbao,V. Fornasier, C. Streutk
er, L. Sugar, B.Bapat (2008) Systemic Erdheim Chester Disease, Virchows Arch, 45
2(2) , 221-227
10. E-J Shin, E Chappell, V Pethe, K Hershy, TH Kwast, N Fleshner, B Bapat (2007
) MYH mutations are rare in Prostate Cancer. J Cancer and Clin Oncol: 133: 373-3
78
11. S Esufali, G Charames, V Pethe, P Buongiorno, B Bapat (2007) Activation of
tumor-specific variant Rac1b by Dishevelled (Dvl) promotes canonical Wnt signali
ng and decreased adhesion of colon cancer cells. Cancer Res: 67(6), March 15
12. S Raptis, M Mirkonjic, R Green, V Pethe, N Monga, Y Chan, D Daftary, E Dicks
, B Younghusband, P Parfrey, S Gallinger, J McLaughin, J Knight, B Bapat (2007)
MLH1 -93 GA promoter polymorphism and the risk of microsatellite-unstable colore
ctal cancer. Journal of National Cancer Institute (JNCI): 99 (6), March 21
13. V Pethe, M Shekhar (1999) Estrogen inducibility of c-Ha-ras transcription i
n breast cancer cells.
Identification of functional estrogen-responsive transcriptional regulatory elem
ent in Exon1/Intron1 of the c-Ha-ras gene. J Biol Chem: 274 (43): 30969-30978
14. Bastola DR, Pethe VV, Winicov, I (1998) Alfin-1, a novel zinc-finger protei
n in alfalfa roots that binds to promoter elements in the salt-inducible MsPRP-2
gene. Plant Mol Biol: 38 (6): 1123-1135
15. Winicov I, Bastola DR, Deutch CE, Pethe VV, Petrussa L (1999) In vitro sele
ction of induced salt tolerant mutants: inducible gene regulation in salt tolera
nce. In: In vitro techniques for selection of radiation induced mutants adapted
to adverse environmental conditions. 21-29, August 99
16. PK Ranjekar, VV Pethe, PK Chitnis, MD Lagu, VS Gupta (1993) Use of RFLP in
detection of genetic diversity in some Indiaca Rice cultivars . Journal of Plant
Biochemistry and Biotechnology: 2 : 87-89
17. VS Gupta, PK Chitnis, VV Pethe, PK Ranjekar (1991) Application of RFLP tech
nology in rice breeding. Rice Genetics and Tissue Culture: 13: 1-6
18. MS Dhar, VV Pethe, VS Gupta, PK Ranjekar (1990) Predominance and tissue spe
cificity of adenine methylation in rice. Theoretical and Applied Genetics: 80: 4
02-408
19. Vaijayanti Pethe, Meena Lagu, PK Chitnis, VS Gupta, PK Ranjekar (1989) Rest
riction Fragment Length Polymorphism: A recent approach in plant breeding. India
n Journal of Biochemistry and Biophysics: 26(5): 285-288
SCHOLARSHIPS AND AWARDS
-Best poster award - G Charames, V Pethe and B Bapat (2010) Novel insights into
Rac1b regulation of Wnt signaling in colon cancer. Poster presentation at Annua
l retreat, SLRI, Mount Sinai Hospital, May 3-4
-Invited abstract for podium presentation at AACR Annual Meeting (2003): V Pethe
, A Saka, A. Pollett, M Aaronson, H Rothenmund, M Redston, S Gallinger, B Bapat
(2003) : Contribution of hMLH1 promoter hypermethylation in tumorigenesis in H
NPCC and familial CRC patients. Podium presentation at 94th Annual Meeting of AA
CR, July 10-14, Washington DC
- Rockefeller Foundation Pre-doctoral Research Fellowship to learn advanced mole
cular techniques in the laboratory of Dr Michael Delseny, Perpignan, France (198
9)
- Junior and Senior Research Fellowships [Research towards PhD]; Council of Scie
ntific and Industrial Research (CSIR) , New Delhi, India (1988- 1992)
- National Merit Scholarship during Msc and Poona University Research Award duri
ng MPhil (1983-87)
- Garware College Annual Award for standing first in Bsc., Poona University, Ind
ia
SCIENTIFIC ABSTRACTS AND PRESENTATIONS [2002- 2010]
1. Kron K, Pethe V, Briollais L, Sadikovic B, Sunderji A, Ozcelik H, Venkateswar
an V, Pinthus J, Kwast Van der, T and Bapat B (2009) The discovery of hypermethy
lated gene loci in prostate cancer progression using human GpG island microarray
s. Presented at the 2nd Annual Canadian Human Genetics Conference, Harrison Hot
Springs, BC, Canada, May24-27
2. Genna Luciani, Vaijayanti Pethe, Michele Zysman, William Chapman, Bharati Ba
pat (2007) MLH1 promoter (-93) GA SNP frequency and its association with MSI s
tatus in young endometrial cancer patients. Submitted and presented for Lab Med
icine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Summer Student Research Program;
August 09, 2007
3. Ibrahim-zada, N Fleshner, V Pethe, R Bristow, T van der Kwast, B Bapat, H Ozc
elik (2007) : DNA repair polymorphisms associated with clinical risk factors in
prostate cancer. Accepted for presentation at CPCRI Conference, Toronto; Septem
ber 28-30
4. Mrkonjic M, Raptis S, Green R, Pethe V, Monga N, Daftary D, Dicks E, Younghus
band B, Parfrey P, Gallinger S, Mclaughlin J, Knight J and Bapat B (2006) : Mism
atch repair SNPs and colorectal cancer risk in the Canadian Population. Presente
d at 11th International Congress of Human Genetics, Brisbane, Australia; August
6-10
5. Buongiorno P, Pethe V, , Esufali S, Bapat B (2006) A novel functional mechan
ism of Rac1 GTPase mediated regulation of Wnt signalling pathway. 11th Internat
ional Congress of Human Genetics, Brisbane, Australia; August 6-10
6 S Raptis, JA Knight, V Pethe, M Manno, S Gallinger, JR McLaughlin and B Bapat
(2005) Association of MLH1 and MSH2 polymorphisms and colorectal cancer risk: A
population-based, case-control study. Presented at AACR Meeting 2005, Anaheim,CA
, April 16-20
7.S. Raptis, J. Knight, V. Pethe, Y.M. Chan, M. Manno, S. Gallinger, J. McLaughl
in, B. Bapat.(2004) MLH1 and MSH2 polymorphisms and colorectal cancer risk: A m
olecular, genetic and epidemiological study. 54th ASHG Annual Meeting , Toronto
; October 26-30
8.V. Pethe, M. Croitoru, T. Berk, T. Chappell, J. Green, Z. Cohen, S. Gallinger,
B. Bapat (2004).
Prevalence of Y165C and G382D germline mutations of the MYH gene in Canadian Fam
ilial Adenomatous Polyposis (FAP) patients without a detectable germline APC mut
ation. 54th ASHG Annual Meeting, Toronto; October 26-30
9. Raptis S, Knight J, Pethe V, Gallinger S, McLaughlin J, and Bapat B (2003). T
he Association of mismatch repair gene polymorphisms and colorectal cancer risk:
A population-based, case-control study. Abstract :American Association for Canc
er Research- Conference on SNPs, Haplotypes, and Cancer: Applications in Molecu
lar Epidemiology, Key Biscayne, FL; September 13-17
10. V Pethe, A Saka, A. Pollett, M Aaronson, H Rothenmund, M Redston, S Gallinge
r, B Bapat (2003) : Frequency of hMLH1 promoter hypermethylation in HNPCC and f
amilial colorectal cancer patients. Abstract submitted for the 4th Joint Meeting
, Leeds Castle Polyposis Group and ICG-HNPCC, Cleveland, Ohio; September 2-6,
11 V Pethe, A Saka, A. Pollett, M Aaronson, H Rothenmund, M Redston, S Gallinger
, B Bapat (2002) : Analysis of hMLH1 promoter hypermethylation in MSI versus M
SS tumors among individuals at increased risk of familial colorectal cancer. Pro
gram and Abstract: Vol:71 (4), 52nd Annual Meeting of the American Society of H
uman Genetics, Baltimore, MD; October 15-19,
REFERENCES Available on request