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Lakshmi Kadkol is a PhD Candidate at the University of Illinois Cancer Center, conducting her thesis research under the mentorship of VK Gadi, MD, PhD, Cancer Center Deputy Director and medical oncologist at UI Health. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Molecular and Cellular Biology from the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign in 2018.

Her thesis focuses on ovarian cancer immunology, using oncolytic adenoviruses to investigate how immunomodulatory cytokines, TGF-β and GM-CSF, signaling shapes the ovarian tumor–immune microenvironment and influences anti-tumor responses. Her broader scientific interests center on tumor–immune and tumor–stroma interactions, novel immunotherapy development and identifying mechanisms that can improve outcomes for patients with cancer.

Lakshmi's training spans a range of research and clinical settings. She began in cancer research as a high school summer volunteer and later worked in a clinical cytogenetics laboratory and as a Genetic Counseling Assistant in a hereditary cancer program at UIC, gaining experience across patient specimen processing, karyotyping, pedigree analysis and risk communication alongside certified genetic counselors.

After completing her undergraduate degree, she worked as a Research Specialist and Lab Manager in a prostate cancer group, leading an independent project on the phosphatase PPP2CB, and subsequently gained industry experience as a quality analyst in the biotech sector. Together, these experiences have grounded her commitment to science that connects basic mechanisms to patient impact.

She has presented her ovarian cancer thesis work as a first author at the AACR Annual Meeting, the Gary Kruh Cancer Research Symposium and Women's Health Research Day at UIC. She was honored with the 2026 UIC Cancer Center Travel Award, which supported her participation at AACR.

Of the experience, she reflects:

"I am incredibly honored to receive the UIC Cancer Center Travel Grant Award, as I get the opportunity to present my thesis work to one of the biggest international cancer conferences. This conference was very important for me, both in networking and advancing my knowledge in cancer research."

Lakshmi plans to pursue a postdoctoral fellowship in cancer immunology, with the long-term goal of leading her own research laboratory at the forefront of translational oncology.

Outside the lab, she enjoys walking along the Chicago lakefront, watching films at the movie theater, spending time outdoors—especially in the mountains—and has a particular fondness for snow and penguins.