Endocrine Neoplasia Research Laboratory
Baregamian Laboratory
About Us
The Endocrine Neoplasia Research Laboratory at the VUMC, led by an endocrine surgeon and Principal Investigator Naira Baregamian, MD, is dedicated to studying underlying molecular mechanisms of thyroid, parathyroid and adrenal cancer progression and defining the role of tumor metabolism and metabolic immune inter-regulation of tumor microenvironment in advanced endocrine cancers. The Baregamian Lab focuses on translational discoveries designed to enhance clinical endocrine cancer care through patient tumor-derived endocrine organoid platforms of thyroid, parathyroid and adrenal tumors. Our laboratory’s mission is to contribute to endocrine cancer cure, patient survivorship, and development of novel therapeutics through new discoveries via bedside-to-bench and bench-to-bedside approach. By targeting endocrine tumor metabolism and tumor microenvironment to bridge the existing knowledge gaps, the laboratory utilizes novel endocrine organoid platforms, metabolic and bioinformatic computational immunogenomic deciphering of tumor microenvironment to develop integrative models for designing personalized therapy for endocrine cancers.
Who We Are
Naira Baregamian, MD, MMS, FACS
Principal Investigator
Assistant Professor of Surgery
Division of Surgical Oncology & Endocrine Surgery
The team of Baregamian Lab is led by Dr. Naira Baregamian, a fellowship-trained Endocrine Surgeon and NIH T32 surgical research fellowship trainee. Clinically, Dr. Baregamian specializes in surgical treatment of benign and malignant conditions of the parathyroid, thyroid and adrenal glands and, as a surgeon-scientist, is uniquely positioned to study and treat endocrine malignancies. Dr. Baregamian has authored and co-authored several scientific papers and has received a Burroughs Wellcome Fund Faculty SCRIPS Scholar award and American Association of Endocrine Surgeons’ (AAES) Paul LoGoerfo Research award. She is an elected member of the AAES, Translational Research and Interventional Oncology (TRIO) Program at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center and holds numerous positions in national organizations.
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Sekhar Raja Konjeti, PhD
Staff Scientist
Dr Konjeti completed his Ph.D. in medicinal chemistry and has been working on drug discovery in radio-oncology for several years. His research focuses on developing novel anticancer agents, radiosensitizers, and normal tissue damage, cell signaling pathways, oxidative stress and adductomics. Dr. Konjeti has published over 50 research articles, book chapters, and review articles.
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