In her previous position, Dr. Sharma studied gene and protein expression changes in the retina and brain using rodent models. She investigated the role of the phytoestrogen, resveratrol, on the expression of candidate genes involved in diabetic retinopathy (DR), and in a menopause model of rat. In this she looked into the pathology of the pancreas and eyes. In addition to this work, Dr. Sharma also focused on understanding the mechanisms through which the brain responds to traumatic brain injury (TBI) and high altitude (HA), both of which cause impaired brain function. In this context she examined microglia and astrocyte markers using confocal microscopy and analyzed the expression of synaptic proteins. Her long-standing experience with animal models of DR and TBI, including assessments of neuroprotection, glial responses and inflammation, has enabled her to apply these discoveries in other related fields.  

In her current position, Dr. Sharma will focus on understanding the undeveloped mechanisms of neuroendocrine tumor biology using rodent and cell line models. In these models she will examine histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi) and DNA methyltransferase inhibitors (DNMTi) for their potential as a new therapy for neuroendocrine tumors. Together with Dr Sadowski’s team, which has expertise in molecular mechanisms and signaling, Dr. Sharma will also interrogate miRNA-RNA interaction which also have the potential for other molecular questions surrounding neuroendocrine tumors. If the HDACi/DMNTi experiments are successful in rodent and cell line models, the next step will be clinical trials to determine if these novel therapeutics have the potential to improve patient heath and survival.