Bathri Vajravelu, PhD, MBBS, MPH
Associate Professor
School
School of Physician Assistant Studies
Department
School of Physician Assistant Studies
Office Location
Griffin 419
Boston
Office Phone Office Phone: 617.732.2961
About
Dr. Vajravelu practiced primary care in India before moving to the United States to pursue his research interests. He is interested in understanding the disease process of dysferlinopathy, a type of muscular dystrophy and the role of non-coding RNAs in this disease. Dr. Vajravelu’s PhD work was in understanding cardiac stem cell biology and its clinical applications. He is experienced in diverse fields of biomedicine and molecular genetics. He mentors undergraduate and graduate students in research and has identified over three thousand novel long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) that are abnormally expressed in dysferlinopathy. Dr. Vajravelu is currently working on delineating the roles of few of these lncRNAs. In addition to his research, Dr. Vajravelu teaches in the PA program and serves as the Director of Didactic Education and the Chair of the Program Assessment Committee.
Education
- Ph.D., Biochemistry & Molecular Genetics, University of Louisville, May 2015
- MPH, Master of Public Health, Western Kentucky University, May 2010
- MBBS (MD equivalent), Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery, Tamil Nadu Dr. M.G.R. Medical University, India, May 2006
Research Interests
Dysferlinopathy, Muscular dystrophy, Noncoding RNAs, Degenerative muscle disordersFeatured Affiliations
The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi: 2018 – Present
LinkPhysician Assistant Education Association: 2016 – Present
LinkIndian Medical Council: 2006 – Present
LinkEducation
- Ph.D., Biochemistry & Molecular Genetics, University of Louisville, May 2015
- MPH, Master of Public Health, Western Kentucky University, May 2010
- MBBS (MD equivalent), Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery, Tamil Nadu Dr. M.G.R. Medical University, India, May 2006
Research Interests
Dysferlinopathy, Muscular dystrophy, Noncoding RNAs, Degenerative muscle disordersPublications
- Singhal, R., Lukose, R., Carr, G., Moktar, A., Gonzales-Urday, A. L., Rouchka, E. C., & Vajravelu, B. N. (2022). Differential Expression of Long Noncoding RNAs in Murine Myoblasts After Short Hairpin RNA-Mediated Dysferlin Silencing In Vitro: Microarray Profiling. JMIR Bioinformatics and Biotechnology, 3(1), e33186.
- E. C., & Vajravelu, B. N. (2022). Differential Expression of Long Noncoding RNAs in Murine Myoblasts After Short Hairpin RNA-Mediated Dysferlin Silencing In Vitro: Microarray Profiling. JMIR Bioinformatics and Biotechnology, 3(1), e33186.
- Vajravelu BN, Al-Maqtari, T. c-Kit - The Novel Receptor: Physiological Roles, Downstream Signaling and Implications in Cancer. Jour Clin Med Res. 2021;2(3) :1-36.
- Vajravelu BN, Kelley A, Moktar A, Orrahood S. Flipped Classrooms in Physician Assistant Education. J Physician Assist Educ. 2020;31(4):207- 211. doi:10.1097/JPA.0000000000000325
- Al-Maqtari, T, Hong, KU, Vajravelu, BN, Moktar, A, Cao, P, Moore IV, J, Bolli, R. Transcription factor-induced activation of cardiac gene expression in human c-kit+ cardiac progenitor cells. PloS one. 2017.
- Vajravelu, BN, Hong, KU, Al-Maqtari, T, Cao, P, Keith, MC, Wysoczynski, M, Zhao, J, Moore, J, Bolli, R. c-Kit Promotes Growth and Migration of Human Cardiac Progenitor Cells via the PI3K-AKT and MEK-ERK Pathways. PloS one. 2015, 10(10): e0140798.
- Keith, MC, Tokita, Y, Tang, XL, Ghafghazi, S, Moore, JB, Hong, KU, Elmore, JB, Amraotkar, AR, Guo, H, Ganzel, BL, Grubb, KJ, Flaherty, MP, Vajravelu, BN, Wysoczynski, M, Bolli, R. Effect of the Stop-Flow Technique on Cardiac Retention of c-Kit Positive Human Cardiac Stem Cells After Intracoronary Infusion in a Porcine Model of Chronic Ischemic Cardiomyopathy. Basic Research in Cardiology. 2015, 110(5):503.
- Keith, MC, Tang, XL, Tokita, Y, Li, QH, Ghafghazi, S, Moore IV, J, Hong, KU., Elmore, B, Amraotkar, A, Ganzel, BL, Grubb, KJ, Flaherty, MP, Hunt, G, Vajravelu, B, Wysoczynski, M, Bolli, R. Safety of intracoronary infusion of 20 million C-kit positive human cardiac stem cells in pigs. PloS one. 2015, 10 (4), e0124227.
- Hong, KU, Guo, Y, Li, QH, Cao, P, Al-Maqtari, T, Vajravelu, BN, Du, J, Book, MJ, Zhu, X, Nong, Y, Bhatnagar, A, Bolli, R. c-Kit+ cardiac stem cells alleviate post-myocardial infarction left ventricular dysfunction despite poor engraftment and negligible retention in the recipient heart. PloS one. 2014, 9 (5), e96725.
Awards and Honors
- SURF Faculty Mentor Award, 2019
- MCPHS University Faculty Scholarship Showcase Award, 2017
- MCPHS University Faculty Scholarship Showcase Award, 2016
- Integrated Program in Biomedical Sciences Fellowship, 2010 - 2012
- Outstanding graduate student award in Public Health, Western Kentucky University, KY, 2010
More Affiliations
- Tamil Nadu State Medical Council: 2006 – Present