Varsha G. Desai

Affiliation confirmed via AI analysis of OpenAlex, ORCID, and web sources.

Research Biologist

NCTR

Also affiliated: United States Food and Drug Administration (2004–2023); King Edward Memorial Hospital and Seth G.S. Medical College (1991); Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (2001); University of California San Diego (2011); MIT World Peace University (2025–2026); Genomics (United Kingdom) (2004)

Faculty Researcher

25 h-index 69 pubs 1,955 cited

Research Areas

Biomedical Subjects

Links

ORCID

OverviewAI-generated summary

Varsha G. Desai's research focuses on understanding the mechanisms of drug-induced toxicity, particularly cardiotoxicity associated with the chemotherapy agent doxorubicin. Her work investigates how this drug affects the heart, with a recent emphasis on identifying early preclinical biomarkers for chronic cardiotoxicity. Desai has published studies exploring the role of microRNAs, such as microRNA-34a-5p, as potential circulating biomarkers for detecting this condition before clinical symptoms manifest.

Her research also examines sex-related differences in doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity, investigating pathways like the apelin-APJ system. Desai has explored strategies to mitigate this toxicity, including targeting the apelin-APJ axis. Her work has involved studies in animal models, including mice and rats, to elucidate disease mechanisms and evaluate potential therapeutic interventions. Collaborations include researchers from the National Center for Toxicological Research and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.

Metrics

h-index: 25
Publications: 69
Citations: 1,955

Selected Publications

Correction: Exploring Predictive Risk Factors for Myocardial Injury in Children Treated with Anthracyclines: A Pilot Study (2026)

Cardiovascular Toxicology DOI OpenAlex
Exploring Predictive Risk Factors for Myocardial Injury in Children Treated with Anthracyclines: A Pilot Study (2025)

Cardiovascular Toxicology DOI OpenAlex
Doxorubicin Cardiotoxicity: Preclinical and Clinical Circulating Protein Markers (2023)

Biomarkers in disease DOI OpenAlex
Potential role of the apelin‐APJ pathway in sex‐related differential cardiotoxicity induced by doxorubicin in mice (2022)

Journal of Applied Toxicology 7 citations DOI OpenAlex
Doxorubicin Cardiotoxicity: Preclinical and Clinical Circulating Protein Markers (2022)

Biomarkers in disease 3 citations DOI OpenAlex
MicroRNA‐34a‐5p as a promising early circulating preclinical biomarker of doxorubicin‐induced chronic cardiotoxicity (2022)

Journal of Applied Toxicology 14 citations DOI OpenAlex
Doxorubicin‐induced delayed‐onset subclinical cardiotoxicity in mice (2021)

Journal of Applied Toxicology 15 citations DOI OpenAlex
Rebuttal to the comments by Dr. Yan Xu on the article “Transcript profiling in the testes and prostates of postnatal day 30 Sprague-Dawley rats exposed prenatally and lactationally to 2-hydroxy-4-methoxybenzophenone” (2019)

Reproductive Toxicology DOI OpenAlex
Candidate early predictive plasma protein markers of doxorubicin-induced chronic cardiotoxicity in B6C3F1 mice (2018)

Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology 23 citations DOI OpenAlex
Transcript profiling in the testes and prostates of postnatal day 30 Sprague-Dawley rats exposed prenatally and lactationally to 2-hydroxy-4-methoxybenzophenone (2018)

Reproductive Toxicology 10 citations DOI OpenAlex
In Vitro Modulation of Redox and Metabolism Interplay at the Brain Vascular Endothelium: Genomic and Proteomic Profiles of Sulforaphane Activity (2018)

Scientific Reports 21 citations DOI OpenAlex
MitoChip (2018)

DOI OpenAlex
Sex and age differences in the expression of liver microRNAs during the life span of F344 rats (2017)

Biology of Sex Differences 33 citations DOI OpenAlex
Sex-related differential susceptibility to doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity in B6C3F1 mice (2016)

Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology 40 citations DOI OpenAlex
Early metabolomics changes in heart and plasma during chronic doxorubicin treatment in B6C3F<sub>1</sub> mice (2016)

Journal of Applied Toxicology 40 citations DOI OpenAlex