School of Medicine
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Sharada Kalanidhi
Director of Data Science, Biochemistry - Genome Center
Current Role at StanfordSharada is focused on building a Data Science capability at SGTC. Her recent research has involved multivariate and machine learning analysis of the biological mechanisms underlying ME/CFS and post-viral fatigue. Her previous research involved non-parametric analysis of the use of Aripiprazole as a treatment for ME/CFS.
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Danish Khan
Basic Life Research Scientist, Biochemistry
BioDanish is a Postdoctoral Research Associate in Prof. Onn Brandman's lab in the Department of Biochemistry at Stanford University. His primary research focus is on cellular responses to stalled translation, specifically studying the ribosome-associated quality control (RQC) pathway. This pathway addresses collisions between ribosomes, splitting them into subunits to allow translation to resume without needing mRNA, the small ribosomal subunit, or energy input. This process, known as "CAT tailing," involves the addition of alanine (in bacteria) or both alanine and threonine (in yeast), with human cells likely incorporating additional amino acids.
Danish's research explores key questions about CAT tailing, including how ribosomes recruit specific tRNAs, regulate CAT tail sequence and length, and determine when to stop CAT tailing. His findings have significantly advanced understanding of the pathway's dual role in protein degradation and aggregation, a balance critical for cellular health. His work demonstrates that pulling forces from various cellular interactions regulate CAT tail identity, length, and sequence. Danish discovered that threonine in CAT tails prevents α-helix formation, aids in nascent chain extrusion, and is the primary factor in aggregation of CAT-tailed proteins—offering a potential target for treating protein-aggregation diseases. Meanwhile, alanine-rich CAT tails enhance nascent chain release and degradation and are potent degrons.
Danish's discoveries are key to understanding CAT tailing’s evolution and impact on disease, as mutations in NEMF (the human equivalent of yeast's Rqc2 protein) are linked to neurodegenerative disorders in humans, mice, and flies. His findings lay the groundwork for CAT tail studies in human cells, where a wider range of amino acids may yield new therapeutic opportunities for neurodegenerative and neuromuscular diseases.
Danish has contributed broadly within the Brandman lab. He co-developed ReporterSeq, a CRISPRi-based genomic screening technique published in eLife, and collaborates with Bingwei Lu’s lab on the consequences of RQC pathway dysfunction on cellular health. Leveraging his background in drug development, Danish is also working on small molecule inhibitors of CAT tailing. His work has resulted in a publication in Nature Communications and a second manuscript in revision with Science Translational Medicine, while his own CAT tailing manuscript is under peer review following its bioRxiv posting. Danish’s research is funded by the Dean’s Fellowship (Bernard Cohen Postdoctoral Fellowship Fund) and Mikitani Cancer Research Fellowship at Stanford.
Danish earned his Ph.D. from Texas A&M University, where his research focused on the inhibition mechanisms of the lipid-signaling protein Sec14. His work led to the identification of two classes of Sec14 inhibitors and the discovery of a family of heme-binding lipid transfer proteins, resulting in three first-author publications in eLife, Cell Chemical Biology, and Journal of Lipid Research. He also contributed as a middle author to five additional studies, receiving the John Mack Prescott Award for Outstanding Research.
Danish began his academic journey with a Bachelor’s in Biochemistry from Presidency College, Kolkata, where he ranked second in his college and fourth in the university. He then earned a Master’s degree in Biotechnology from Banaras Hindu University on a Government DBT Fellowship. Beyond science, Danish has a strong interest in the intersection of law and technology, frequently exploring related literature.
