About Roshina Thapa
I am originally from Kathmandu, Nepal. I am a registered medical microbiologist with a keen interest in cancer research. I received my master’s degree from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HUJI), Israel. I investigated how increased expression of kinetochore genes, particularly centromere protein A (CENPA), the gene encoding centromere protein, has been associated with genomic instability and development of cancer. I then moved to Ben Gurion University, Israel where I pursued a PhD in the department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Genetics. My PhD dissertation focused on examining the effects of chronic stress on hematopoietic stem cells that did harbor the gain of function mutations in Tp53.
To dive deeper into the avenue of hematological malignancy, I joined the lab of Dr. Kim E Nichols at St. Jude where I will be investigating how germline mutations in the ETV6 gene contribute to development of B-acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL), the most common childhood cancer and a leading cause of cancer-related death in children. My research will elucidate how ETV6 variants affect normal blood cell development and contribute to leukemia progression. This study holds significance for public health as it will enhance our understanding of B-ALL, leading to the development of improved classification, treatment, and even prevention of this common and occasionally lethal childhood cancer.
Outside of the lab, I love to do short hikes and cook interesting Nepalese food.
Selected Publications
Thapa, R., Elfassy, E., Olender, L. et al. Rapid activation of hematopoietic stem cells. Stem Cell Res Ther 14, 152 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13287-023-03377-6
Olender L, Thapa R, Gazit R. Isolation of Murine Myeloid Progenitor Populations by CD34/CD150 Surface Markers. Cells. 2022 Jan 20;11(3):350. doi: 10.3390/cells11030350. Equal contribution
Bujanover N, Thapa R, Goldstein O, Olender L, Sharabi O, Milsom MD, Gazit R. Hypersensitivity response has negligible impact on Hematopoietic Stem Cells. Stem Cell Reports. 2021 Aug 10;16(8):1884-1893. doi: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2021.06.013.
Aldwaik RK, Shian D, Thapa R, Vasudevan S, Ashqar MA, Reich E, Kravchenko-Balasha N, Klutstein M. Overexpressed kinetochore genes are used by cancer cells as genome destabilizers and transformation catalysts. Transl Oncol. 2023 Aug;34:101703. doi: 10.1016/j.tranon.2023.101703. Equal contribution
Bhatta B, Thapa R, Shahi S, Bhatta Y, Pandeya DR, Poudel BH. A Pilot Study on Screening of BRCA1 Mutations (185delAG, 1294del40) in Nepalese Breast Cancer Patients. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2016;17(4):1829-32.
Bhatta, B., Thapa, R., Shahi, S., Karki, S., Bhatta, Y., Das, J. K., & Pandeya, D. R. (2015). Isolates and their Antibiogram in Different Samples from a Tertiary Care Hospital, Kathmandu. Medical Journal of Shree Birendra Hospital, 14(1), 1-8.
Bhatta, B., Thapa, R., Pant, P., & Pandeya, D. R. (2016). A retrospective hospital based study in Kathmandu to assess the seroprevalence of hepatitis B virus. Journal of Manmohan Memorial Institute of Health Sciences, 2, 3-6.
Last update: April 2024