Rama S. Dwivedi, MD
Assistant Professor, Pediatrics
To Contact Dr. Dwivedi:
Children's Memorial Hospital
Children's Memorial Research Center Mail Box # 224 Room C515
Chicago, IL 60614-3394
Phone: (773) 755-6515
Fax: (773) 755-6374
e-mail: ramaa@northwestern.edu
Dr. Dwivedi's website
Research Interests
Recent work in Dr. Dwivedi's laboratory has focused on a novel mechanism of
drug resistance involving the role of DNA methylation in neuroblastoma. DNA
Methylation is an epigenetic phenomenon responsible for switch " on"
or "off" the gene(s) in a cellular system. Tumor cells become resistant
to chemotherapeutic agents by an alteration in methylation patterns of tumor
suppressor, drug resistant or DNA repair gene(s) that allow cells to escape
the normal process of cell cycle regulation. Understanding the mechanism(s)
that modulate methylation patterns of genes and thereby the gene products
at molecular and genetic level may provide a more effective approach to circumventing
the acquired drug resistance in neuroblastoma and other fatal tumors. Results
of these studies may lead to new chemotherapeutic approaches for the effective
treatment of neuroblastoma and a variety of childhood tumors.