Rate My Professor Rakesh Banerjee

Rakesh Banerjee holds a PhD from the Department of Pathology, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, which he completed in May 2024 after commencing in 2019 under the supervision of the Chatterjee Laboratory. Prior to this, he earned a Master of Science in Microbiology from Pondicherry University (2015-2017) and a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology from the University of Calcutta (2012-2015). His doctoral research centered on gene-specific DNA methylation editing to investigate gene regulation in melanoma cell lines, employing CRISPR-based tools to manipulate epigenetic patterns and elucidate their roles in cancer biology. Banerjee's work explores the epigenetic basis of cancer metastasis, locus-specific methylation editing in mammalian cells, and paradoxical gene activation mechanisms, contributing to potential developments in methylation-based biomarkers and combinatorial therapies.

Banerjee has authored several key publications during his PhD, including 'Targeted DNA Methylation Editing Using an All-in-One System Establishes Paradoxical Activation of EBF3' (2024), 'Editing of DNA Methylation Patterns Using CRISPR-Based Tools' (2022), 'Epigenetic basis and targeting of cancer metastasis' (2021), 'Locus-Specific DNA Methylation Editing in Melanoma Cell Lines Using a CRISPR-Based System' (2021), and 'Locus-Specific DNA Methylation Editing in Mammalian Cells using a CRISPR-Based System' (2021). These works, with 72 citations, highlight his expertise in epigenetics, gene regulation, next-generation sequencing, PCR, molecular genetics, and cancer biology. In recognition of his early contributions, he won a poster prize at the Maurice Wilkins Centre Future Science Day in December 2019. Complementing his research career, Banerjee served as a Lab Demonstrator and International Student Ambassador at the University of Otago. He currently works as International Student Recruitment Co-ordinator in the University's International Office, supporting global student recruitment efforts.