Nira Hosseini Wins Top Presenter Award at the Commonwealth of Virginia Cancer Research Conference
By: Natalie Luffman
Department of CMGM
VCU School of Medicine
Email: luffmanng@vcu.edu
Date: December 16, 2025
Nira Hosseini, a CMGM 5th-year PhD candidate in human genetics, was voted the top presenter in the Signaling Pathways category at the Commonwealth of Virginia Cancer Research Conference (CVCRC), hosted by the VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center in November. Over 250 students and postdocs from eight Virginia universities presented their research in 10-minute podium talks covering a wide range of cancer research fields, including drug development, diagnostics and therapeutics, and signaling pathways.
Nira presented her research on the role of the DDI2 protease in autophagy machinery under the mentorship of Dr. Senthil Radhakrishnan in the VCU School of Medicine’s Pathology Department. Her work explores the largely unexplored function of DDI2 in autophagy regulation and the proteasome, two key pathways that cancer cells hijack to support their survival. Elucidating DDI2’s role in autophagy may reveal potential therapeutic vulnerabilities and open the door to new strategies for disrupting cancer cell adaptation.
Having witnessed the impact of cancer on many families, Nira became deeply interested in the molecular mechanisms underlying cancer cells' complex survival strategies. She explains, “Little is known about DDI2’s broader roles, especially within the autophagy machinery. That knowledge gap, along with the potential to uncover new vulnerabilities in cancer cells, is what drives my research.”
Nira plans to continue working in translational cancer research and genetics after completing her PhD. She credits her successful PhD experience to her supportive lab environment and the wide range of research opportunities available through VCU and the Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center. Outside of research, she enjoys solving puzzles, reading psychology books, hiking in nature, and baking, often creating her own recipes. Nira’s advice to emerging pre-doctoral students and early-career scientists is to “stay curious, embrace challenges, and trust that your passion for discovery will guide you through the journey of research and growth.” We wish Nira continued success in her future scientific endeavors!