Ankush Chandra, MD

Ankush Chandra, MD, MS, is a PGY-5 Neurosurgery Resident at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, with a strong commitment to becoming a neurosurgeon-scientist.

Dr. Chandra completed his undergraduate education at Boston University (2011), graduating with honors in Neurosciences and Distinction in Biomedical Research. He furthered his studies at Boston University School of Medicine, earning an MS in Medical Sciences (2015), and then graduated from Wayne State University School of Medicine with Research Distinction and AOA honors (2020). During medical school, he was awarded the prestigious Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) research fellowship, focusing on glioblastoma drug resistance at UCSF in the Aghi lab. To date, Ankush has published over 60 peer-reviewed scientific papers, showcasing his significant impact in neurosurgery and oncology.

Currently in his research year, Dr. Chandra joined Dr. Lo's laboratory in July 2024 and was awarded the NIH NINDS R25 grant to study the role of a novel transcription factor, tGLI1, in conferring resistance to CDK4/6 inhibitors in glioblastoma.

His research interests are deeply rooted in the development of targeted therapies for GBM, one of the most aggressive and lethal brain tumors, aiming to improve patient outcomes through precision medicine approaches. Dr. Chandra is also interested in understanding the molecular mechanisms driving GBM progression, including angiogenesis, invasion, immune modulation, and metabolic dysregulation.

Outside of medicine, Ankush enjoys basketball, football, spending time with family, and traveling.