Researcher Spotlight
20th May 2026
Researcher Spotlight: Dr. Vasudevarao Penugurti
Dr. Vasudevarao Penugurti is a Postdoctoral Associate at Duke University School of Medicine, working on cancer progression and therapy resistance. He came to this area of research having watched people around him receive late-stage diagnoses when treatment options were already limited. That experience shapes the work he does today.
Last year, he was named winner of the 2025 Best Postdoc Mentor Award, voted for by over 800 colleagues, students and peers. The award recognises postdoctoral researchers who put real time into the scientists around them, not just their own work. "Mentoring is far more than sharing knowledge," he said. "It is about nurturing mentees to stand on their own, think independently, and one day even surpass the mentor."
The Research
Dr. Penugurti's work focuses on two questions: where are the vulnerabilities in aggressive cancers that can be targeted, and can drug resistance be reversed? He is looking at combinations that might make resistant tumours sensitive to treatment again, with the innate immunity pathway sitting at the centre of much of this.
"What motivates me most is the potential to make a meaningful impact," he says, "particularly in early detection and better therapeutic strategies."
The STING pathway is a key part of the innate immune response and a growing area of interest in cancer immunology. Studying it well requires tools that actually perform consistently, which is where things get complicated.
Challenges in the Lab
Phospho-antibodies for pSTING (S366) and pIRF3 (S396) are a persistent problem. Dr. Penugurti has worked through multiple vendors and getting reproducible results has taken more time than it should. When reagents do not perform as expected, it is not just a budget issue — it pulls focus away from the science itself.
Research funding in the US adds to the pressure. Many labs are operating carefully right now, and every purchase carries more weight than it used to.
Looking Ahead
His goal is straightforward: better outcomes for patients who are diagnosed when their options are already narrow. The gap between what the research shows is possible and what patients can currently access is what he is working to close.
Dr. Penugurti spoke with us after using one of our antibody products in his immunoblotting work. We offer trial size antibodies, free sample programmes, and discounts for researchers working with limited budgets. We also work directly with researchers to understand what they actually need, because the same approach does not work for everyone.
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Scholars@Duke profile | ResearchGate profile
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