Bhaskar Kahali, Ph.D., MBA
Study Lead, Translational Medicine, Oncology, Clinical Biomarker, Clinical Trial, Precision Medicine
Frederick,MD
Summary
Experienced Translational Medicine Lead with over 10 years of expertise in conceptualizing and developing clinical strategies, including pre-clinical strategy development, clinical and regulatory document review and authorship, and driving internal translational medicine initiatives. Collaborates effectively with cross-functional teams, external collaborators, and CROs to identify clinical biomarkers, conduct PK/PD analysis, and analyze clinical trial data and patient response. Possesses extensive knowledge in molecular biology, cell therapy, next-generation sequencing, and cutting-edge technologies. Published multiple articles in peer-reviewed journals and presented at international conferences. Committed to driving innovation, fostering collaboration, and making a meaningful impact in the field of precision medicine.
Overview
2025
2025
years of professional experience
10
10
years of post-secondary education
Work History
Translational Medicine Lead
Kite Pharma
08.2022 - Current
- Responsible for developing strategies for clinical trials at different phases.
- Serve as a study lead on clinical study teams to oversee the delivery of key clinical/pharmacology data deliverables required for early phase and registrational studies.
- Directs pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) analysis to support clinical pharmacology for clinical trials.
- Successful development and implementation of companion diagnostic, patient selection, and stratification; clinical translational data generation and analysis and assess patient outcome response data.
- Collaborates with clinical operations, clinical data management, and biometrics/Statistics to advance data acquisition and analysis of clinical trial data.
- Support the preparation of data packages for publication with medical writers, presentation and/or submission to regulatory agencies.
- Leads the resolution of queries from drug regulatory agencies and supports writing and reviewing responses to regulatory queries.
- Collaborates with bioinformatics and statistical teams to conduct clinical biomarker correlative studies and deeper analyses of tumor biology mechanisms of action for assets.
- Oversight and management of external vendors and functional biomarker assays.
- Spearhead cross-functional teams to develop and implement comprehensive biomarker and human data strategies, driving translational pharmacology and optimizing patient selection.
- Developed innovative solutions to complex scientific problems, enhancing the company''s intellectual property portfolio.
- Participated in strategic planning efforts, helping to set both short-term and long-term goals for the organization.
- Contribute to external scientific discussions/research collaborations and publications and engagement with key opinion leaders in the field.
- Review and edit technical documents including study reports, SOPs, development/qualification of protocols.
- Support globally regulatory requests including Investigational New Drug (IND), Biologics License Application (BLA) and other key global regulatory filing activities.
- Participated in strategic planning efforts, helping to set both short-term and long-term goals for the organization.
Senior Scientist, Translational Medicine
Epizyme, Inc
4 2021 - 5 2022
- Involved in reviewing and authoring translational clinical documents, including clinical protocols, study reports, abstracts, and/or manuscripts and regulatory items (IND, IB etc.)
- Translational Medicine lead on multiple Phase 1/2 clinical trials.
- Analysis of PK/PD data.
- Responsible for conceptualizing and developing clinical biomarker strategies for different clinical trials (hematological and solid tumors)
- Involved in driving internal translational medicine initiatives to support clinical understanding and advancement of clinical-stage programs working through KOL collaborators and CROs.
- Lead cross-functional teams to develop and execute clinical biomarker and human data plans, supporting translational pharmacology and patient stratification.
- Developed innovative solutions to complex scientific problems, enhancing the company''s intellectual property portfolio.
- Participated in strategic planning efforts, helping to set both short-term and long-term goals for the organization.
Translational Scientist, Clinical Biomarker
St Jude Children's Research Hospital
08.2017 - 04.2021
- Identification and development of novel Clinical Biomarkers for patient stratification.
- Facilitated interdisciplinary research projects, merging diverse perspectives to tackle complex scientific questions.
- Reviewed and authored comprehensive translational clinical documents, including clinical protocols, study reports, abstracts, manuscripts, and regulatory filings
- Conceptualized and developed innovative clinical biomarker strategies for hematological and solid tumor clinical trials.
- Study lead for multiple studies in both hematological and solid tumors.
- Conducted studies to understand tumor microenvironment and T cell and immune response
- Implemented, and optimized operational guidelines for new and several existing clinical pharmacology protocols.
- Involved in driving internal translational medicine initiatives to support clinical understanding and advancement of clinical-stage programs working through KOL collaborators and CROs.
- Set up training programs for clinical staff and laboratory personnel.
Postdoctoral Research Associate
St Jude Children's Research Hospital
12.2014 - 08.2017
- Conducted basic and applied research on Epigenetic regulations of the Tumor Microenvironment, including cell therapy-based treatment (CAR-T therapy, NK cell-based therapy)
- Authored study reports, including manuscripts, abstracts, etc., for publications.
- Trained and supervise junior laboratory members.
Postdoctoral Fellow
College Of Medicine, University Of Florida
12.2010 - 12.2014
- Conducted basic and applied research on Cancer Epigenetics.
- Direct Laboratory personnel, train, and monitor their performance .
- Collected and analyzed biological data.
- Designed and optimized assays.
- Store, process and analyze data.
- Write manuscripts for scientific publications.
- Interpreted research findings and summarized data into reports.
- Attended scientific conferences to present research.
- Worked in a multi-disciplinary and multi-institute collaboration.
- Facilitated research into developing effective therapy of disease.
Education
MBA - Business Administration And Management
Quantic School of Business And Technology
Washington, DC 10.2020 - 12.2021
Ph.D. - Molecular Biology
West Virginia University
Morgantown, WV 07.2004 - 12.2010
Master of Science - Zoology, Genetics & Molecular Biology
University of Kolkata
Kolkata, WB, India 08.2000 - 08.2002
Skills
Cell therapy
Technical Skills
Molecular Biology
Cell-based therapy including CAR-T and NK cell based treatment (Solid and Hematological malignancies)
Protein purification.
Western Blot (both traditional and eWestern).
Immunohistochemistry and Immunofluorescence assay, ELISA
Next-gen sequencing - extensive experience in library preparation, target enrichment etc.
Cell-free DNA (cfDNA)/ Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA).
CTC assay
Multicolor Flow cytometry
Methylation assay.
Homologous recombination based DNA manipulations - TALEN, CRISPR/Cas9.
Chromatin Immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay.
PCR including qPCR, RT-PCR and ddPCR.
Southern Blot.
RNA isolation and RNA interference based (siRNA and shRNA) gene silencing.
In vivo Technique
Murine modeling of Human disease.
Trained in classical genetics and disease modeling in Drosophila.
Computer Skills
NonMEM
Phoenix NLME
R
Flow Jo
Diva
Python
Adobe Illustrator
Adobe Photoshop
Graphpad
DNASTAR
Accomplishments
Publications
1. Myeloid Sarcoma: The other side of Acute Leukemia.
B.Kahali
[Hematology latest research and clinical advances – Book Chapter]
2. Flavonoids from each of the six structural groups reactivate BRM, a possible cofactor for the anticancer effects of Flavonoids.
B.Kahali*, S.B. Marquez*, K.W. Thompson, J. Yu, S.J. Gramling, L. Liu, A. Aponick, D. Reisman (* - Equal Contribution)
[Carcinogenesis. 2014 Oct:35(10):2183-93]
3. The silencing of the SWI/SNF subunit and anticancer gene BRM in Rhabdoid tumors. B. Kahali, J. Yu, S.B. Marquez, K.W. Thompson, S.Y. Liang, L. Lu, D. Reisman [Oncotarget. 2014 May 30;5(10):3316-32]
4.Identifying targets for the restoration and reactivation of BRM.
B.Kahali, S.J.B. Gramling, S.B. Marquez, K. Thompson, L. Lu, D. Reisman [Oncogene 2014 Jan 30:33(5):653-64] [Awarded the highest impact publication (2012), Department of Medicine, University of Florida]
5. Downregulation of SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling factor subunits modulates cisplatin cytotoxicity. A. Kothandapani, K. Gopalakrishnan, B. Kahali, D. Reisman, S. M. Patrick [Exp Cell Res. 2012 Oct; 318(16): 1973-86.]
6. Evidence that the C-terminal domain (CtD) autoinhibits neural repression byDrosophila E(spl)M8.
B.Kahali, J.E. Kim, U. Karandikar, C.P. Bishop, A.P. Bidwai. [Genesis-2010 Jan;48(1):44-55]
7. Functional Dissection of Timekeeper (Tik) implicates opposite roles for CK2 and PP2A in Drosophila neurogenesis.
E. Kunttas-Tatli, A. Bose, B. Kahali, C.P. Bishop, A.P. Bidwai [Genesis. 2009 Oct;47(10):647-58]
8. On the mechanism underlying the divergent retinal and bristle defects of M8*(E(spl)D) in Drosphila.
B.Kahali, A. Bose, U. Karandiakar, C.P. Bishop, A.P. Bidwai [Genesis. 2009 Jul;47(7):456-68]
9. Drosophila CK2 phosphorylates Hairy and regulates its activity in vivo. B. Kahali, R. Trott, Z. Paroush, R. Allada, C.P. Bishop, A.P. Bidwai [Biochem Biophys Res Commun.2008 Sep 5;373(4):637-42]
10. Drosophila CK2 regulates lateral-inhibition during eye and bristle development A. Bose, B. Kahali, S. Zhang, JM Lin, R. Allada, , U. Karandikar, A.P. Bidwai [Mech Dev. 2006 Sep;123(9):649-64.]
Additional Information
Awards and Honors
2010 - WVU Dissertation Fellowship
2008 - WVU Travel Award (Awarded for presentation at the 49th Annual Drosophila Conference, Houston, TX)
2006 - WVU Travel Award (Awarded for presentation at the 47th Annual Drosophila Conference, San Diego, CA)
2000-2002 National Scholarship Award, Govt. of India.
Affiliations
- Member, Cancer Epigenetics Society, 2017 to Current
Work Preference
Work Type
Full TimeContract WorkWork Location
HybridRemoteTimeline
Translational Medicine Lead
Kite Pharma
08.2022 - Current
MBA - Business Administration And Management
Quantic School of Business And Technology
10.2020 - 12.2021
Translational Scientist, Clinical Biomarker
St Jude Children's Research Hospital
08.2017 - 04.2021
Postdoctoral Research Associate
St Jude Children's Research Hospital
12.2014 - 08.2017
Postdoctoral Fellow
College Of Medicine, University Of Florida
12.2010 - 12.2014
Ph.D. - Molecular Biology
West Virginia University
07.2004 - 12.2010
Master of Science - Zoology, Genetics & Molecular Biology
University of Kolkata
08.2000 - 08.2002
Senior Scientist, Translational Medicine
Epizyme, Inc
4 2021 - 5 2022
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