Venkadesh Sarkarai Nadar is a researcher focusing on drug discovery for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), an aggressive form of cancer with limited treatment options. He is particularly interested in developing novel metalloid-based therapeutics, including compounds derived from arsenic and boron, to improve treatment efficacy while minimizing toxicity.
Sarkarai Nadar specializes in structural biology and enzymology, with expertise in protein crystallography and biochemistry. His work includes the structural and functional analysis of ArsN, an enzyme involved in acetylating arsenic-containing antibiotics, advancing insights into arsenic metabolism and antibiotic resistance. His long-term vision is to develop new targeted small-molecule drugs for hard-to-treat cancers, such as TNBC, using an integrated approach that combines structural, biochemical, and cellular methodologies to accelerate drug discovery and preclinical validation.
Areas of Expertise
- Structural Biology
- Protein biochemistry
- Insilco drug design
Research Grants
AWD15620 Venkadesh Sarkarai Nadar (PI) Florida Breast Cancer Foundation 07/01/2023 – 06/30/2025. A Novel arsenic-containing anti-cancer drug for triple negative breast cancer (TNBC).
See research publications and more on FIU Discovery.
Education
- Ph.D., Crystallography and Biophysics, University of Madras, Chennai, India, 2011
- M.Sc., Physics, Alagappa University, Karaikudi, India, 2005
- B.Sc., Physics, Madurai Kamaraj University, Madurai, India, 2002