The College of Staten Island (City University of New York) | United States
Dr. Probal Banerjee is a distinguished biochemist and neuroscientist whose academic and research career spans over four decades of excellence in bioorganic chemistry, molecular neuroscience, and cancer research. He earned his B.Sc. in Chemistry (Hons) and M.Sc. in Organic Chemistry from Jadavpur University, Calcutta, followed by a Ph.D. in Bioorganic Chemistry from the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore in 1984. He completed postdoctoral research at the University of Notre Dame in Biochemistry and Enzymology and at the University of Chicago in Molecular Neuroscience. Currently a Professor of Chemistry and Coordinator at the Center for Developmental Neuroscience, College of Staten Island, CUNY, Dr. Banerjee has made pioneering contributions to understanding neurodevelopmental signaling and immune-modulating cancer therapies. His numerous honors include the Children’s Research Foundation Grant (1989), Brain Research Foundation Award, and two Dolphin Awards for Academic Excellence and Teaching. A sought-after speaker, he has delivered invited lectures at leading institutions worldwide on topics ranging from serotonin signaling in brain development to multi-target cancer therapeutics. Dr. Banerjee is also an inventor with several patents on curcumin-based anticancer agents and therapeutic approaches for Fragile X Syndrome. His expertise is widely recognized through his service on multiple NIH grant review committees, reflecting his enduring impact on neuroscience, pharmacology, and translational cancer research.
Featured Publications
"Novel Taxol-Derivative, STO-1, Induces Selective Anti-Tumor Immunity and Sustained Remission of Glioblastoma Without Triggering Autoimmune Reactions", Shubhasmita Mohapatra; Adrian Guerrero; Neha Rahman; Khondoker Takia Zaman; Jing Wu; Callistus Onyeagba; Chanyue Hu; Matteo Pellegrini; Jayaram Vankudoth; Seiya Kitamura et al., Cells, 2025.
"One-Pot Synthesis of Phenylboronic Acid-Based Microgels for Tunable Gate of Glucose-Responsive Insulin Release at Physiological pH", Prashun G. Roy; Jiangtao Zhang; Koushik Bhattacharya; Probal Banerjee; Jing Shen; Shuiqin Zhou, Molecules, 2025.
"Biocompatible Anisole-Nonlinear PEG Core–Shell Nanogels for High Loading Capacity, Excellent Stability, and Controlled Release of Curcumin", Jing Shen; Jiangtao Zhang; Weitai Wu; Probal Banerjee; Shuiqin Zhou, Gels 2023.
"The G Protein-Coupled Serotonin 1A Receptor Augments Protein Kinase Cε-Mediated Neurogenesis in Neonatal Mouse Hippocampus-PKCε-Mediated Signaling in the Early Hippocampus", Sreyashi Samaddar; Sudarshana Purkayastha; Souleymane Diallo; Subramanyam J. Tantry; Ryan Schroder; Pranavan Chanthrakumar; Michael J. Flory; Probal Banerjee, International Journal of Molecular Sciences 2022.
"Phytosomal curcumin causes natural killer cell-dependent repolarization of glioblastoma (GBM) tumor-associated microglia/macrophages and elimination of GBM and GBM stem cells", Sumit Mukherjee; Angela Fried; Rahman Hussaini; Richard White; Juliet Baidoo; Sri Yalamanchi; Probal Banerjee, Journal of Experimental & Clinical Cancer Research, 2018.