From setbacks to success: Dr. Ranju Nair’s path to her PhD

When Dr. Ranju Nair defended her PhD in the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology (LMP) at the University of Toronto this summer, she did so before an audience that included a Nobel Prize winner. It was the culmination of a decade-long pursuit that saw her overcome many challenges from balancing motherhood and research in a pandemic to funding shortages.

“I went into the exam scared and came out feeling like a warrior. I didn’t know what to expect, but I realized I knew my work, I could think on my feet, and I could stand my ground,” says Nair.

Her external examiner, Dr. Gregg Semenza, who shared the 2019 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for discoveries in how cells sense and adapt to oxygen levels, questioned her on the molecular mechanisms of hypoxia in cancer; the pathways her research focussed on. “It was an incredible moment having someone of his stature engage deeply with my work. It was both validating and humbling.”

This somewhat stressful, though rewarding, end to her PhD was the culmination of years of setback and struggles which did not dampen Nair’s ambitions but just made her more determined to keep going.

Her journey began in Mumbai, India, where she completed undergraduate and master’s degrees in microbiology and biotechnology. From the beginning, she was drawn to the invisible molecular choreography that sustains life, something she could spend hours looking at, so she knew she wanted to be involved in research.

After immigrating to Canada with her husband, Nair worked at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre under the mentorship of Dr. Susan Done, Professor in LMP - a clinician-scientist and pathologist and an expert in breast cancer. Nair managed laboratory operations, coordinated grants, and supported multiple research projects, while also growing her family with two children. “Watching Dr. Done balance research, clinical work, and family life was inspiring. It showed me that it’s possible to build both a scientific career and a family.”

When she decided to return to graduate studies, she joined the lab of Dr. Philip Marsden, a clinician-scientist and nephrologist specializing in vascular biology. Based at St. Michael’s Hospital, he is a Professor in the Department of Medicine and cross-appointed in LMP. Together, they designed a project that united her background in cancer research with his expertise in kidney and endothelial biology, focusing on clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) - the most common and aggressive form of kidney cancer. Under his mentorship, she learned three enduring lessons: to observe nature’s tracks carefully, to test every idea rigorously, and to trust her intuition.

Nair’s research explored how the loss of a critical tumour-suppressor gene, von Hippel–Lindau (VHL), rewires cellular responses to low oxygen, or hypoxia, allowing tumours to grow unchecked. Nair ventured into a less-charted territory: long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs): the so-called “dark matter” of the genome that does not code for proteins but can regulate gene expression.

Through years of research, she discovered and characterized a previously unstudied lncRNA, which they named MARVEL: short for Mortality-Associated lncRNA in VHL-deficient ccRCC. Her work showed that MARVEL enhances the activity of HIF-2α, a master regulator of hypoxia signalling and a major driver of kidney-cancer progression. “Finding a gene no one had described before, naming it, and proving it has a role in cancer was incredibly rewarding”, says Nair.

MARVEL’s discovery not only advances fundamental understanding of tumour biology but may also inform therapeutic strategies. Drugs targeting HIF-2α are already in clinical use, and Nair’s work suggests that MARVEL could be a complementary target, offering new hope for patients with advanced kidney cancer.

Nair began her PhD, just months before the COVID-19 pandemic upended research and family life. As a mother of two young children, she suddenly found herself balancing remote schooling, lab shutdowns, and childcare with her research. “I had just figured out a routine when everything collapsed. There were no babysitters, no in-person lab work, and constant uncertainty. Being also relatively new to Canada meant we had a limited support system which was quite isolating.”

She relied on community networks and colleagues for support, often coordinating experiments late at night after her children went to bed. “That period taught me persistence in a completely new way – I had to redefine what progress meant in my PhD.”

By the time she defended her thesis in July 2025, Nair had grown into a confident and collaborative scientist, unafraid of uncertainty. Her work impressed the examination committee, and she passed with only minor revisions. “When Dr. Semenza told me my work added to the understanding of hypoxia biology, it meant everything,” she says.

She has since joined the lab of Dr. Rola Saleeb, a clinician-scientist at St. Michael’s Hospital and Associate Professor in LMP, as a postdoctoral fellow. There, she is studying immune and molecular profiles of papillary renal cell carcinoma, extending her mechanistic findings into patient-centred research. 

Looking back, Nair hopes her story encourages others, particularly mature students, women in science, and those balancing family responsibilities, to see that persistence pays off. “You’ll face fear and imposter syndrome. But those feelings mean you’re pushing boundaries. Keep showing up, ask for help, and take small steps forward every day.”

Now, with her PhD behind her and new discoveries ahead, Nair reflects on what the journey taught her most. “Research is not just about finding answers. It’s about growing stronger in the unknown”.

See more on Fall Convocation 2025 in LMP in Celebrating our graduates! Convocation time in LMP

This story showcases the following pillars of the LMP strategic plan: Dynamic Collaboration (pillar 2), Impactful Research (pillar 3) and Agile Education (pillar 5).