Ravi Goyal
Vice Chair of Research, Obstetrics and Gynecology Professor, Obstetrics and Gynecology
William J. Parker Agricultural, room N123
Education:
- Ph.D., Pharmacology, University of Mississippi
- MD, Armed Forces Medical College, India
The major research interest of Dr. Goyal's research group is to study epigenetic regulation of vasculogenesis and angiogenesis. Currently, hisgroup is researching the developmental origin of health and disease with emphasis on fetal programming of metabolic syndrome, cancer, and neurological impairments. Other projects included the development of gene therapy to convert adipose-derived stem cells in insulin-secreting cells as well as developing a suicide gene therapy to target cancer cells. The major approaches the group uses to investigate angiogenesis, stem cell differentiation, and development of targeted cancer therapeutics are aimed at the identification of the novel transcripts, including long non-coding RNA involved in these processes. These transcriptomic regions are then examined with contemporary bioinformatics methods to identify conserved regions in the mouse, sheep, and human genome. Following the identification of the conserved region, we use the CRISPR technique to knockdown or activate these regions to determine their functional implications. They hope to identify molecular targets by which they can increase or decrease angiogenesis, improve stem cell differentiation efficiency, and provide a targeted approach to treat chronic disorders and improve human health.
Environmental research interests - Dr. Goyal's group is conducting research on the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease in response to changes in maternal environment and stressors from the past two decades. They have examined the effect of various environmental factors on fetal development and programming with an emphasis on epigenetic mechanisms. They have investigated the effect of maternal malnutrition, hypoxemia, and hyperthermia on the fetal outcome and life-long sequelae. Recently, they have started investigating the impact of plasticizers such as phthalates on fetal programming of metabolic syndrome and neurodevelopmental disorders.