Individual Details

Death

Breast Cancer

Biography

Tandra R. Chaudhuri, PhD, 1947–2006
Tandra R. Chaudhuri, PhD, professor of radiology
and codirector of the Multi-Modality Imaging
Laboratory, University of Alabama at Birmingham
(UAB), died in Hoover, AL, on July 26 after
a long battle with breast cancer. She was 59 years old.
Born in Calcutta, India, on July 13, 1947, Tandra
received her BA from Calcutta University in 1968. Her
parents encouraged her to follow the path of her older
brothers, who had emigrated from India to the United
States. In the ‘‘United States’’ she received a master’s
degree in the history of science from GeorgeWashington
University in 1970 and a second master’s, in microbiology,
from the University of Oklahoma in 1976. She
earned her PhD in microbiology from Calcutta University
in 1983.
Tandra pursued a long and productive research career
at universities in the United States and Canada. She was
a research associate at the University of Texas Health
Science Center at San Antonio (1976–1978), a research
associate at the University of Oklahoma (1981–1984), a
research assistant professor at the University of Missouri
(1985–1990), a research associate professor at the
University of Missouri (1990–1995), and director of
research/consultant at Southeast Texas Medical Oncology
(1995–2000).
While working at the University of Missouri at
Columbia, Tandra met Kurt R. Zinn, DVM, PhD, who
became her husband in 1990. In 1995 the couple moved
to UAB, where Tandra served as a faculty associate and
then research associate professor (2000–2003), and associate
professor (2003–2005). In 2005, she was promoted
to a full professorship of radiology at UAB, holding that
position until her death. She also served as codirector of the
UAB Multi-Modality Imaging Laboratory from 2003 to
2006.
Along with her husband, she published more than 155
articles, abstracts, and book chapters and presented approximately
138 scientific papers at various national and
international medical and scientific conferences. Tandra
was a member of numerous scientific organizations, including
the American Society of Microbiology, Academy
of Molecular Imaging,American Society ofGene Therapy,
American Association of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene,
American Association for the Advancement of Science,
and Sigma XI: The Scientific Research Society.
Tandra’s research interest focused on advancing
novel imaging methods for early diagnosis of cancer. Her
pioneering work included ‘‘Imaging gene transfer using
99mTc-peptide with high affinity for reporter receptor.’’
Other contributions in nuclear medicine research included
99mTc-labeled E-selectin binding peptide in
specific targeting of activated endothelium in arthritis
model; imaging 99mTc-FGF-1 targeting; 99mTc-P2045, a
new peptide for imaging somatostatin receptor gene
transfer; and detection of ovarian cancer by radiolabeled
human monoclonal antibody. Tandra also demonstrated
the anticancer effect of curcumin, an active ingredient of
turmeric, a common culinary spice.
She held patent and invention disclosure statements
on various original research methodologies, including
fluorescent stereomicroscopic imaging for early detection
and precise localization of cancer, a method for in vivo
inflammation monitoring, a method for production of
luciferase-positive cancer cell lines for imaging, and an in
vivo reporter system for imaging gene transfer.
Tandra received numerous research grants from the
National Cancer Institute and the Department of
Defense and received funds from the UAB Comprehensive
Cancer Center Supporters Board, a cancer
funding-raising group in Birmingham. She directed the
research work of 4 undergraduate students, 1 master’slevel
student, and 4 PhD candidates.
Dr. Chaudhuri was a loving wife and extremely talented
in cooking, sewing, dancing, singing, and photography.
Her research work, love, laughter, friendship, and
musical and photographic talents will be sorely missed.
Eva V. Dubovsky, MD, PhD
Professor Emeritus
University of Alabama School of Medicine