Ramesh B. Batchu

Ramesh Babu Batchu is currently serving as an Associate Professor in The Michael and Marian Ilitch Department of Surgery at Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit, Michigan. With a strong background in biology and biochemistry, Dr. Batchu has dedicated his career to exploring innovative approaches to cancer treatment. Dr. Batchu obtained a Master of Philosophy degree in Immunology in June 1988 and a Ph.D. in Cancer Biology in February 1993 from Jawaharlal Nehru University, India. Dr. Batchu has made significant contributions to the field of immunotherapy, particularly in the areas of dendritic cell (DC)-based immunotherapy and chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy. His research has focused on overcoming the challenges associated with these therapies and enhancing their efficacy in solid tumors such as pancreatic and ovarian cancers. Dr. Batchu's laboratory has made substantial progress in identifying immune inhibitory factors within the tumor microenvironment, including IL-10, TGF-β cytokines, regulatory T cells, and immune checkpoint pathways such as PD-1. By inhibiting these factors through the NF-κB pathway, his team has partially restored CAR T-cell and CAR-NK-cell activity, paving the way for improved immunotherapeutic approaches. Additionally, Dr. Batchu has collaborated with Professor Donald W. Weaver, an expert in translational cancer immunotherapy, resulting in funding from pharmaceutical companies. His laboratory has also made significant contributions to RNA interference and has a strong background in translational aspects of research, enabling them to tackle various ongoing projects. In addition to his research work, Dr. Batchu has held several positions throughout his career. He has served as the Director of the Division of Surgical Oncology and Developmental Therapeutics and as the Associate Director of the same division at Wayne State University School of Medicine. He has also been an Assistant Professor at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and an Instructor at the Myeloma Center, UAMS, Little Rock, AR and Instructor at Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA. Dr. Batchu's contributions to the field of cancer research have been recognized through numerous honors and awards. He received the Exceptional Merit Recipient award at the American College of Surgeons Clinical Congress in 2018 for his work on IL-10 inhibition in ovarian cancer. He has also been a recipient of fellowships and awards from organizations such as the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation, National Institute of Health, the American Cancer Society, and the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research. Dr. Batchu has been involved in a wide range of research projects, with a focus on immunotherapy, tumor microenvironment interactions, and immuno-gene therapy for multiple myeloma. His work has been published in reputable scientific journals, and he has received research support from various sources, including grants from foundations, institutes, and pharmaceutical companies.