Munjal M. Acharya
Associate Professor, Anatomy & Neurobiology
School of Medicine
School of Medicine
Associate Professor (Joint appointment), Radiation Oncology
School of Medicine
School of Medicine
B.S., Gujarat University, 1998, Biochemistry, Biotechnology
M.S., M. S. University of Baroda, 2000, Neuroscience, Biochemistry
Ph.D., M. S. University of Baroda, 2006, Neuroscience
M.S., M. S. University of Baroda, 2000, Neuroscience, Biochemistry
Ph.D., M. S. University of Baroda, 2006, Neuroscience
University of California, Irvine
811, Health Sciences Road
B-149, Medical Sciences B (Lab B-120)
UCI Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology
Mail Code: 1275
IRVINE, CA 92697
811, Health Sciences Road
B-149, Medical Sciences B (Lab B-120)
UCI Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology
Mail Code: 1275
IRVINE, CA 92697
Research Interests
Neuroinflammation, Regenerative Medicine, Neuro-Oncology, Neurodegeneration
Appointments
2007-2011 CIRM Postdoctoral Scholar (California Inst. for Regenerative Medicine)
Department of Radiation Oncology, UC Irvine.
Research focus: Regenerative Medicine, CNS Radiobiology
2006-2007 Postdoctoral Scholar
Div. of Neurosurgery, Dept. of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, NC
Research focus: Stem cell-based therapies for treating epilepsy
Department of Radiation Oncology, UC Irvine.
Research focus: Regenerative Medicine, CNS Radiobiology
2006-2007 Postdoctoral Scholar
Div. of Neurosurgery, Dept. of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, NC
Research focus: Stem cell-based therapies for treating epilepsy
Research Abstract
• Neurobiological mechanisms: Cancer and cancer therapy-related cognitive impairments (CRCI)
• Glial immune signaling in the irradiated brain, glioma, and solid cancer chemotherapies
• Stem cell-based regenerative therapies for CRCI and Alzheimer’s disease
• BDNF enhancement and anti-neuroinflammatory therapies to alleviate CRCI
• Glial immune signaling in the irradiated brain, glioma, and solid cancer chemotherapies
• Stem cell-based regenerative therapies for CRCI and Alzheimer’s disease
• BDNF enhancement and anti-neuroinflammatory therapies to alleviate CRCI
Awards and Honors
2026, May Team Science Award (Drs. Acharya, Kim Green, Vivek Swarup), UCI Center for the Neurobiology of Learning & Memory, for distinguished leadership in collaborative and interdisciplinary neuroscience approaches.
2025, May Team Science Award (Drs. Acharya and Alexandre Chan), UCI COHS Faculty Assembly Basic Science Award, for demonstrating interdisciplinary collaboration across the COHS school, leading to basic science research findings that advanced the health of patients or communities.
2023, June Equity and Diversity Mentoring Award, UCI School of Medicine, US.
2018, Sep. Early Career Investigator travel award, Radiation Research Society, US.
2017, Oct. Early Career Investigator travel award, Radiation Research Society, US.
2016, Oct. Early Career Investigator travel award, Radiation Research Society, US.
2015, Nov. Mentored Career Development Award (KL2), Inst. for Clinical and Translational Sciences, UC Irvine.
2015, June Chancellor’s award for Excellence in Mentorship for undergrad research
2015, May Young Investigator Travel Award, International Congress of Radiation Research (ICRR), 2015, Kyoto, Japan.
2015, Feb “Faculty Mentor of the Month”, UC Irvine
2013, Apr. Top-ranked research abstract award and platform presentation, American Society of Neural Therapy and Repair (ASNTR), Florida, U.S.
2012, Oct. Scholars in Training Award, Radiation Research Soc. annual meeting, U.S.
2011, Oct. Best Poster Award, Stem Cell Symposium, Univ. of California, Irvine.
2011, May Top-ranked research abstract award and platform presentation, International Society for Neural Therapy (INTR), Florida, U.S.
2010, Sep. Scholars in Training Award and platform presentation, Radiation Research Society annual meeting, Hawaii, U.S.
2010, Apr. Best Research Abstract Award and platform presentation, American Society of Neural Therapy and Repair (ASNTR), Florida, U.S.
2009 – 2011 Training Grant, California Inst for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), research funding for early translational application of stem cells
2006, Jul. Travel Award, APSN (Asian Pacific Society for Neurochemistry) and IBRO-FAONS (Intl Brain Research Organization, France, and Federation of Asian-Oceanic Neuroscience Societies, Australia) to attend APSN meeting, Singapore.
2005, Dec. Best Poster Award, “Advances in research on Neurodegenerative Diseases” symposium, Intl. Soc. Neurochemistry (ISN), Soc. Neurochemistry, India.
2005, Aug. IBRO fellowship, 6th IBRO Asia-Pacific School of Neuroscience, Bangalore, India
2004, May Travel Grant to participate in the International Neuroscience Conference by (IAN), Hyderabad, India
2004 - 2005 University Research Fellowship for Graduate studies, M.S. Univ. Baroda, India.
2025, May Team Science Award (Drs. Acharya and Alexandre Chan), UCI COHS Faculty Assembly Basic Science Award, for demonstrating interdisciplinary collaboration across the COHS school, leading to basic science research findings that advanced the health of patients or communities.
2023, June Equity and Diversity Mentoring Award, UCI School of Medicine, US.
2018, Sep. Early Career Investigator travel award, Radiation Research Society, US.
2017, Oct. Early Career Investigator travel award, Radiation Research Society, US.
2016, Oct. Early Career Investigator travel award, Radiation Research Society, US.
2015, Nov. Mentored Career Development Award (KL2), Inst. for Clinical and Translational Sciences, UC Irvine.
2015, June Chancellor’s award for Excellence in Mentorship for undergrad research
2015, May Young Investigator Travel Award, International Congress of Radiation Research (ICRR), 2015, Kyoto, Japan.
2015, Feb “Faculty Mentor of the Month”, UC Irvine
2013, Apr. Top-ranked research abstract award and platform presentation, American Society of Neural Therapy and Repair (ASNTR), Florida, U.S.
2012, Oct. Scholars in Training Award, Radiation Research Soc. annual meeting, U.S.
2011, Oct. Best Poster Award, Stem Cell Symposium, Univ. of California, Irvine.
2011, May Top-ranked research abstract award and platform presentation, International Society for Neural Therapy (INTR), Florida, U.S.
2010, Sep. Scholars in Training Award and platform presentation, Radiation Research Society annual meeting, Hawaii, U.S.
2010, Apr. Best Research Abstract Award and platform presentation, American Society of Neural Therapy and Repair (ASNTR), Florida, U.S.
2009 – 2011 Training Grant, California Inst for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), research funding for early translational application of stem cells
2006, Jul. Travel Award, APSN (Asian Pacific Society for Neurochemistry) and IBRO-FAONS (Intl Brain Research Organization, France, and Federation of Asian-Oceanic Neuroscience Societies, Australia) to attend APSN meeting, Singapore.
2005, Dec. Best Poster Award, “Advances in research on Neurodegenerative Diseases” symposium, Intl. Soc. Neurochemistry (ISN), Soc. Neurochemistry, India.
2005, Aug. IBRO fellowship, 6th IBRO Asia-Pacific School of Neuroscience, Bangalore, India
2004, May Travel Grant to participate in the International Neuroscience Conference by (IAN), Hyderabad, India
2004 - 2005 University Research Fellowship for Graduate studies, M.S. Univ. Baroda, India.
Short Biography
Dr. Munjal Acharya's research is focused on the neurobiological mechanism(s) and mechanism-based mitigation strategies to alleviate radiation and cancer-related cognitive impairments (CRCI). Dr. Acharya has uncovered a glia-dependent pathophysiological mechanism of radiation-induced cognitive dysfunction. In addition, Dr. Acharya has developed human stem cell-based regenerative strategies to remediate the brain from the unintended side effects of cranial irradiation and chemotherapy. His research has delineated the paracrine mechanism (exosomes) of stem cell transplantation-mediated recovery of the injured brain. His recent work on BDNF augmentation to reverse chemobrain has translated to 3 ongoing clinical trials.
Dr. Acharya's Ph.D. was focused on sub-cellular membrane dysfunction in the epileptic brain (University of Baroda, India). His interest in neuroscience continued as a postdoctoral scholar at Duke University Medical Center to study the efficacy of stem cell grafting to treat epilepsy. Dr. Acharya joined the University of California Irvine as a CIRM postdoctoral fellow. Currently, Dr. Acharya is an Associate Professor at the Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, with a joint appointment in the Department of Radiation Oncology. Dr. Acharya is a recipient of a Chancellor's Award for Undergraduate Teaching and the School of Medicine Equity and Diversity Award for Mentoring.
Dr. Acharya's research is funded by the NIH, California Institute of Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), the American Brain Tumor Association (ABTA), the American Cancer Society, and the US Department of Defense.
Dr. Acharya's Ph.D. was focused on sub-cellular membrane dysfunction in the epileptic brain (University of Baroda, India). His interest in neuroscience continued as a postdoctoral scholar at Duke University Medical Center to study the efficacy of stem cell grafting to treat epilepsy. Dr. Acharya joined the University of California Irvine as a CIRM postdoctoral fellow. Currently, Dr. Acharya is an Associate Professor at the Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, with a joint appointment in the Department of Radiation Oncology. Dr. Acharya is a recipient of a Chancellor's Award for Undergraduate Teaching and the School of Medicine Equity and Diversity Award for Mentoring.
Dr. Acharya's research is funded by the NIH, California Institute of Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), the American Brain Tumor Association (ABTA), the American Cancer Society, and the US Department of Defense.
Publications
https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=qgVonYIAAAAJ
Grants
Dept. of War (DoD)
ME250313:
Immune Checkpoint Inhibition-Related Cognitive Impairments: Mechanisms and Mitigation
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NIH
R01 CA276212:
Neurotrophic strategy to mitigate chemotherapy-related brain injury.
NIH
R01 CA262213:
Stem cell-derived exosomes to ameliorate chemobrain.
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NIH
R01 CA25110: Glial immune signaling in radiation-induced brain injury.
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NIH
R21 CA292148:
Circadian regulation of astrocytic adenosine kinase in the irradiated and cancer brain
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CIRM DISC2-12400:
Stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles to reverse radiation-induced brain injury.
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American Cancer Society (ACS) Research Scholar Grant (RSG-17-146-01-CCE):
Mechanism of radiation- and chemotherapy-induced brain injury
__________
American Brain Tumor Association (ABTA)
Discovery Award (DG2000029)
Targeting glioma complement signaling.
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Professional Societies
Society for Neuroscience
American Society for Neurochemistry
Radiation Research Society
Other Experience
Postdoctoral Fellowship
Duke University Medical Center 2006—2007
Duke University Medical Center 2006—2007
CIRM Postdoctoral Fellowship
University of California Irvine 2007—2011
University of California Irvine 2007—2011
Graduate Programs
Cellular and Molecular Biosciences
Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program
Pharmacological Sciences
Research Centers
Sue and Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center, UC Irvine
Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, UC Irvine
Link to this profile
https://faculty.uci.edu/profile/?facultyId=7045
https://faculty.uci.edu/profile/?facultyId=7045
Last updated
07/07/2026
07/07/2026