Dr. Narla is the Division Chief of Genetic Medicine at the University of Michigan and an Associate Professor of Internal Medicine at Michigan Medicine. Dr. Narla’s lab focuses on the study of the structural and molecular basis for tumor suppressor gene inactivation in cancer initiation, development and progression. His studies span the continuum of biomedical research from mechanism-driven laboratory-based studies to the translation of these basic science findings into the development of new classes of drugs for disease treatment. Specifically, his laboratory is focused on understanding the structural and molecular mechanisms by which the serine/threonine phosphatase PP2A is inactivated in human cancer and then leveraging these insights into the development of first-in-class direct small molecule activators of this phosphatase for the treatment of a broad range of human diseases. Protein phosphatase 2A inactivation in cancer occurs through recurrent somatic mutations, post translation modification and overexpression of natural inhibitory proteins that collectively shed insight into PP2A biogenesis and functional regulation in both normal and disease states. Clinically, he oversees the care of high-risk cancer and medical genetics patients across the Michigan Medicine health care system. He serves as the associate director for the MSTP program at the University of Michigan and has a long-standing interest in mentorship and career development graduate students, physician scientists and post-doctoral fellows. He received a bachelor’s degree from Santa Clara University, a MD and PHD from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine. He completed a residency and fellowship at the Mount Sinai Hospital in Internal Medicine and Medical Genetics.