Elena Mironova, Ph.D.
Manager, Laboratory
Current Research
Dr. Mironova is a tumor biologist dedicated to discovering and developing innovative small-molecule and biologic therapeutics. With two decades of academic laboratory experience, she has served as a Research Laboratory Manager at the Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute since January 2023. In this role, she helps to manage two major pre-clinical development programs in pediatric cancers: the NCI-led PIVOT efforts for rhabdomyosarcomas and kidney/liver cancers, and the Texas-wide TPC-DTC.
She helps coordinate multiple concomitant studies utilizing solid-tumor patient-derived xenograft (PDX) and childhood leukemia cellular and mouse models. Her expertise includes designing and executing in vivo studies using immunocompromised, immunocompetent, orthotopic, and humanized mouse models to evaluate novel cancer therapeutics. She conducts comprehensive efficacy, pharmacokinetic (PK), and tolerability studies, and prepares tissue for downstream pharmacodynamic applications such as Western Blotting, immunohistochemistry (IHC), flow cytometry, and RNA/DNA sequencing.
Recently, her research group reported a novel PARP1:MGMT protein interaction in pediatric cancer cells. This discovery revealed a resistance mechanism where MGMT PARylation by PARP1 protects cells from DNA methylation induced by standard-of-care DNA-damaging agents. Beyond her bench research, she manages a team of scientists and technicians, oversees material procurement and safety compliance, and improves processes for biobank quality control and vivarium operations.
Previous Research Experience
Prior to her current focus in oncology, she served as a Research Instructor in the Dr. Stockand laboratory at UT Health San Antonio. Her established research history in the cardiovascular system focused on the involvement of renal sodium channels in regulating blood pressure to improve therapies for hypertension and heart disease. She helped develop an isolated, split-open tubule preparation to measure channel activity in native tissue. Through this broad-based approach, she uncovered compelling evidence of an inhibitory paracrine purinergic signaling system intrinsic to the distal nephron that is necessary for normal blood pressure feedback regulation.