After receiving his Ph.D. from the University of Agricultural Sciences in Bengaluru, India, he did his post-doctoral training with Dr. Umesh Varshney, Indian Institute of Science Bengaluru from 1998-2001, Dr. Ayyavoo Velpandi, University of Pittsburgh from 2001-2003, and Dr. Dennis Hallahan, Vanderbilt University from 2003-2009. He joined the faculty in the Cancer Biology Division in 2009. Dr. Thotala’s research interests focus on improving the efficacy of radiation treatment through the development of technologies and therapies to effectively control cancer while having low toxicity in normal tissues.