64922-Agrawal, Akanksha

Akanksha Agrawal, PhD

Assistant Research Professor of Anatomy, Cell Biology & Physiology

Address
MS 332
ANAT
IN
Indianapolis, IN
PubMed:

Bio

Akanksha Agrawal, Ph.D. is an Assistant Research Scientist at the Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology and Physiology, Indiana University , Indianapolis, Indiana. She earned her PhD degree in Life Sciences from Bharathiar University, India in 2019. She joined Indiana University as a postdoctoral appointee in 2023. Before that, she completed her postdoctoral training at Baylor College of Medicine and Houston Methodist. 

Dr. Agrawal's current research investigates the role of fibroblast growth factor receptors in driving cardiomyopathy in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). Dr. Agrawal's research also focused on skeletal muscle pathology in DMD, investigating autophagy dysregulation, and microtubule alterations. Her work identified therapeutic targets to improve muscle function by restoring autophagic function in DMD. Dr. Agrawal has a strong background in molecular biology, biochemistry, and cell biology, with expertise in autophagy, redox signaling, and proteostasis.

Additionally, her research in high-altitude physiology examined the impact of hypoxia on muscle atrophy, revealing key molecular pathways driving muscle deterioration in low-oxygen environments.

 

Key Publications

1.Agrawal A, Clayton EL, Cavazos CL, Clayton BA, Rodney GG. Histone deacetylase 6 inhibition promotes microtubule acetylation and facilitates autophagosome-lysosome fusion in dystrophin-deficient mdx mice. Acta Physiol. 2025 Jan; 241(1): e14243. doi: 10.1111/apha.14243.
2. Manisha Deogharia, Leslye Venegas-Zamora, Akanksha Agrawal, Miusi Shi, et al. Histone demethylase KDM5 regulates cardiomyocyte maturation by promoting fatty acid oxidation, oxidative phosphorylation, and myofibrillar organization. Cardiovasc Res. 2024 May 7;120(6):630-643.
3.Agrawal A, Rathor R, Kumar R, Singh SN, Kumar B, Suryakumar G. Endogenous dipeptide-Carnosine supplementation maintains skeletal muscle mass and alleviates ER stress response under hypobaric hypoxia. IUBMB Life. 2022; 74(1):101-116.
4.Rathor R, Agrawal A, Kumar R, Suryakumar G, Singh SN. Ursolic acid ameliorates hypobaric hypoxia-induced skeletal muscle protein loss via upregulating Akt pathway: An experimental study using rat model. IUBMB Life 2021; 73(2) :( 306-306).
5.Agrawal A, Rathor R, Kumar R, Suryakumar G, Singh SN, Kumar B. Redox modification of Ryanodine Receptor contributes to impaired Ca2+ homeostasis and exacerbates muscle atrophy under high altitude. Free Radical Biology and Medicine. 2020; 160(20):643-656.
6.Agrawal A, Rathor R, Kumar R, Suryakumar G, Ganju L. Role of altered proteostasis network in chronic hypobaric hypoxia induced skeletal muscle atrophy. PLoS One. 2018; 13(9):e0204283.
7.Agrawal A, Suryakumar G, Rathor R. Role of defective Ca2+ signaling in skeletal muscle weakness: Pharmacological implications. J Cell Commun Signal. 2018; 12(4):645-659.
8. Agrawal A, Rathor R, Suryakumar G. Oxidative protein modification alters proteostasis under acute hypobaric hypoxia in skeletal muscles: a comprehensive in vivo study. Cell Stress and Chaperone 2017; 22(3):429-443.

Book 

Suryakumar G, Rathor R, Agrawal A, Singh SN, Kumar, B Optimizing Performance under High-Altitude Stressful Conditions Using Herbal Extracts and Nutraceuticals. Nutraceuticals and Natural Product Pharmaceuticals 2019:141-166.

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