PrecisionLab provides medical students with clinical research opportunities focused on uncovering genomic signatures in cancer patients—an essential step in guiding personalized treatment strategies for clinicians. For those interested in these positions, please contact Dr. Pankaj Ahluwalia.
Current (2025-2026) PrecisionLab researchers include: Ekta Anand, Aditi Mohan, Navya Pampatwar, Tanvi Patil, Ethan Staats, and Cabery Taylor.
Precision Oncology and the EMR: High-Granularity Data Abstraction Through Standardized Frameworks
Cabery Taylor, Aditi Mohan, Denton Lord, Pankaj Ahluwalia; Ravindra Kolhe
Presented at the Georgia Cancer Center Retreat, August, 2026
Presenting Authors Labdhi Mehta and Navya Katragadda were awarded Best Clinical Research Poster at the Medical College of Georgia Research Day, 2025 for their poster titled "Exploring Ovarian Cancer Disparities at the Epidemiological and Molecular Level."
Labdhi and Navya also earned 2nd Place in the Clinical Research Category by the Medical Association of Georgia (MAG) House of Delegates, 2025.
Exploring Ovarian Cancer Disparities at the Epidemiological and Molecular Level
Navya Katragadda*, Labdhi Mehta*; Denton Lord, Sarah Mai, Hung Bui, Erin Eroglu; Pankaj Ahluwalia; Ravindra Kolhe
Background
Ovarian cancer is the most lethal gynecologic malignancy in the United States, responsible for ~20,000 new cases and ~12,000 deaths annually. While national mortality rates have declined due to advances in detection and treatment, Georgia continues to show notable regional and population-level differences in incidence and survival, particularly in underserved areas. Understanding these patterns requires integration of epidemiologic surveillance with molecular profiling.
Methods
We analyzed ovarian cancer incidence trends from 2018 to 2022 using the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries (NAACCR) Cancer in North America (CiNA) dataset, comparing Georgia's patterns to national trends and stratifying by race/ethnicity. Tumor-level analyses were performed using The Cancer Genome Atlas—Ovarian Serous Cystadenocarcinoma (TCGA-OV) cohort (minority n=44, non-Hispanic White n=123). Clinical stage distribution was compared across groups, and genomic alterations were assessed using Fisher's exact tests to identify differences in mutation prevalence.
Results
Between 2018 and 2022, ovarian cancer incidence declined by ~1% in Georgia, compared with ~4% nationally. Among non-Hispanic White females, incidence decreased by −6% in both Georgia and the U.S., whereas non-Hispanic Black females experienced a +25% increase in Georgia compared with +4% nationally. In the TCGA-OV cohort, non-Hispanic White patients demonstrated a trend toward more frequent presentation with advanced substage IIIC disease, while minority patients exhibited broader distributions across earlier substages. Genomic analyses revealed several molecular alterations disproportionately enriched in minority patients, suggesting underlying biologic heterogeneity that may contribute to variation in outcomes.
Conclusion
This combined analysis highlights widening differences in ovarian cancer incidence trends and tumor biology within Georgia. Rising incidence among non-Hispanic Black females, coupled with distinct genomic profiles, underscores the importance of integrating population-based data with molecular insights. These findings emphasize the need for targeted strategies to improve ovarian cancer outcomes, including equitable access to care, enhanced early detection, and precision oncology approaches tailored to diverse patient populations.
Sarah Mai (pictured) and Hung Bui presented "Molecular Drivers of Age-Related Disparities in Pancreatic Cancer” at the Medical College of Georgia Research Day, 2025.
Houmam Qassab (pictured) and Diana Danelia presented their research on "Immunogenomic Signature Associated with Never-Smokers with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC)" at the Medical College of Georgia Research Day, 2024.
Carys Thompson presented "Adhesion-related Transcriptomic Changes and Their Clinical Significance in Colorectal Cancer" at the SECERS Conference in Savannah, 2024.
Andrea Smith presented "Adhesion-related Transcriptomic Changes and Their Clinical Significance in Colorectal Cancer" at the SECERS Conference in Savannah, 2024.
Mason Arbery highlighted "The Prognostic and Predictive Significance of Glutathione Metabolism in Colorectal Cancer" at the Medical College of Georgia Research Day, 2024.
Kalyani Ballur received the Best Poster Award for a study titled "Development of an LTBP3-related Gene Signature in Colorectal Cancer" at the Georgia Cancer Center/University of Georgia Annual Retreat, 2023. She also presented at at the College of American Pathologists Annual Meeting.
Kolhe lab alumni: Hung Bui, Anjali Mehta, Sarah Mai, Denton Lord, Navya Katragadda, Labdhi Mehta, Mason Arbery, Carys Thompson, Houmam Qassab, Diana Danelia, Andrea Smith, Tiffanie Leeman, and Kalyani Ballur