Education:

Ph.D. Biochemistry/Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, 1998
B.S. Biology, Texas Southern University, 1992

Research Interests:

Reactive oxygen species, oxidative DNA damage, DNA repair, and cancer. Dr. Nyaga's research focuses on understanding the role of oxidative DNA damage and repair in the etiology of cancer. My overall goal is to elucidate the molecular mechanisms leading to the transformation of normal to malignant phenotypes in breast, pancreatic, and prostate forms of cancer. Studies are currently underway to identify genetic and protein alterations associated with pancreatic cancer development. These studies are critical in elucidating the mechanisms underlying the development of cancer and could play a pivotal role in early diagnosis and potentially therapeutic intervention of cancer.

Selected Publications (total: 20, Google Scholar h-index 13, citations: 789):

• Nyaga, S. G., Lohani, A., Evans, M. K.: Deficient repair of 8-hydroxyguanine in pancreatic cancer cell line, BxPC-3. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications 376: 336-340, 2008.
• Nyaga, S. G., Jaruga, P., Lohani, A., Dizdaroglu, M. and Evans, M. K.: Accumulation of oxidatively induced DNA damage in human breast cancer cell lines following treatment with hydrogen peroxide. Cell Cycle 6(12): 1472-8, 2007.
• Rodriguez, H., Jaruga, P., Nyaga, S. G., Evans, M. K. and Dizdaroglu M.: Lymphoblasts of women with BRCA1 mutations are deficient in cellular repair of 8,5'-cyclopurine-2'-deoxynucleosides and 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine. Biochemistry, 46 (9): 2488-2496, 2007.
• Nyaga, S. G., Lohani, A., Jaruga, P., Trzeciak, A. R., Dizdaroglu, M. and Evans, M. K.: Reduced repair of 8-hydroxyguanine in the human breast cancer cell line, HCC1937. BMC, Cancer, 6: 297, 2006.
• Trzeciak, A. R., Nyaga, S. G., Jaruga, P., Lohani, A., Dizdaroglu, M. and Evans, M. K.: Cellular repair of oxidatively induced DNA base lesions is defective in prostate cancer cell lines, PC-3 and DU-145. Carcinogenesis 25 (8): 1359-1370, 2004.
• Mambo, E., Nyaga, S. G., Bohr, V. and Evans, M. K.: Defective repair of 8-hydroxyguanine in mitochondria of MCF-7 and MDA-MB-468 human breast cancer cell lines (shared 1st authorship). Cancer Res. 62: 1349-1355, 2002.