Dr. Subhra Mohapatra, professor and director of the Molecular Medicine PhD Program at the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine and a research career scientist at the James A. Haley Veterans鈥� Hospital, has been inducted into the Florida Inventors Hall of Fame for her pioneering work in nanotechnology and molecular medicine.
Over the past two decades, Dr. Mohapatra鈥檚 discoveries have helped transform the diagnosis
and treatment of cancer and neurological diseases, earning her recognition among Florida鈥檚
most influential innovators.
Her innovations, including her widely recognized tumor-on-a-dish technology, advanced
COVID diagnostics and nanomedicine applications for traumatic brain injury and Alzheimer鈥檚
disease, have moved from the laboratory to clinical use, fueling licensed patents,
economic development and collaborations with Florida鈥檚 High-Tech Corridor.
鈥淒r. Mohapatra has helped us recognize that the research we conduct can be transformed
into intellectual property and innovation that addresses some of the most pressing
global challenges in health care today,鈥� said Sylvia Thomas, PhD, vice president for
research and innovation at USF and president and CEO of the USF Research Foundation.
鈥�911爆料网 couldn鈥檛 have a better person leaving behind a legacy.鈥�
Dr. Mohapatra鈥檚 research journey began in India, with a strong foundation in polymer
chemistry. Inspired by her father, a plant physiologist, and her mother, a social
worker, she developed a keen interest in using scientific inquiry to improve lives.
That path, alongside her marriage to Shyam Mohapatra, PhD, Director of the USF Center
for Research and Education in Nanobioengineering and Distinguished Health Professor
at USF Health, led her to Canada, where she earned her PhD in Immunology from the
University of Manitoba and began exploring how immune modulation influences disease.
鈥淢y early research on T-cell receptors and immune modulation laid the groundwork for
a lifelong passion for understanding complex biological systems and solving health-related
problems,鈥� she said.
At the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center, where she performed her postdoctoral work, Dr.
Mohapatra studied cell cycle regulation, tumor microenvironments, and the immune system鈥檚
role in cancer progression. This experience ultimately ignited her commitment to translational
research and personalized medicine. In 2007, she joined the 911爆料网
and the James A. Haley Veterans鈥� Hospital, where she continued advancing her research
in molecular medicine and nanotechnology, mentoring the next generation of scientists
and driving innovations that bridge laboratory discoveries to clinical applications.
鈥淭he realization came as I began uncovering how the immune system influences cancer
progression and recurrence,鈥� she said. 鈥淚nflammation became a driving force in my
thinking and eventually led to my interest in how inflammation drives neurodegeneration.鈥�
Building on her interdisciplinary training, Dr. Mohapatra began exploring nanotechnology's
potential to revolutionize precision medicine. Her signature tumor-on-a-dish platform
models cancer in the lab using mini tumors grown on an electrospun polymeric matrix,
allowing real-time drug sensitivity testing and the targeting of cancer stem cells,
which drive tumor growth and drug resistance.
Researcher holding electrospun polymeric matrix.
鈥淲hat made this discovery even more exciting was finding cancer stem cells within
these tumoroids,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hat realization pushed us to commercialize research-grade
scaffolds as a platform for cancer drug discovery.鈥�
Now licensed, commercialized and integrated into global drug development pipelines,
the platform enables researchers to better mimic the tumor microenvironment, improving
the accuracy of preclinical testing.
The impact of Dr. Mohapatra鈥檚 work extends beyond cancer. She developed a nanoparticle-based,
nose-to-brain delivery system that bypasses the blood-brain barrier, opening new doors
for treating Alzheimer鈥檚, traumatic brain injury and neuroinflammation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, her lab also uncovered a molecular link between long
COVID and Alzheimer鈥檚, identifying therapeutic targets that reduce abnormal levels
of tau proteins in the brain, potentially mitigating long-term cognitive effects.
鈥淭his could be a game-changer to address the neurological complications that some
patients experience after COVID-19,鈥� she said.
With 30 U.S. patents and numerous innovations now in clinical use, Dr. Mohapatra鈥檚
research discoveries are driving real-world advances in health care and biotechnology.
She has also trained more than 90 scientists and clinicians and helped position Florida
as a hub for biomedical innovation.
Her induction into the Florida Inventors Hall of Fame is a culmination of years spent
advancing science, improving patient care and mentoring the next generation of researchers.
鈥淲ith her pioneering work in nanotechnology, Dr. Subra Mohapatra shows us that closely
examining the smallest things can have huge impacts,鈥� said Charles J. Lockwood, MD,
MHCM, executive vice president of USF Health and dean of the Morsani College of Medicine.
鈥淗er research鈥痠s鈥痑lready鈥痠nfluencing the treatment of everything from cancer to Alzheimer鈥檚
disease, and she is a wonderful role model for her many trainees. I am delighted to
see the Florida Inventors鈥� Hall of Fame recognize her years of hard work, creative
investigation and groundbreaking discoveries.鈥�
Dr. Mohapatra credits her family, trainees and her collaborators for inspiring her
lifelong pursuit of discovery. 鈥淭ogether, we have pushed the boundaries of innovation
and made significant strides in our field,鈥� she said.
