Biography
With a doctoral degree in Molecular biology and Immunology of leprosy from India and twelve years of laboratory-based research experience in genomics, transcriptomics, immune biomarkers and computational biology, I lead multicentric scientific research projects in drug discovery and development of diagnostics for leprosy at the University of Cambridge. With a passion to translate laboratory research findings into practice to reduce the global burden and ultimately end leprosy, I lead initiatives that emphasize translational research and innovation in leprosy and other skin neglected tropical diseases.
Key Projects, Countries, and Partners:
1. Structure Guided Fragment-based Drug Discovery for Leprosy – American Leprosy Missions (ALM) funded project at the University of Cambridge – UK. – (Co-PI)
2. Structure Guided Fragment-based Drug Discovery for SARS-CoV-2 –University of Cambridge – UK. – (Senior Research Associate)
3. To identify leprosy associated Mycobacterium leprae transcriptomic and human host immune signatures that aid as early signals for determination of type I and type II reactions in leprosy – SIH-R&LC and Leprosy Research Initiative -Netherlands - (Co-PI)
4. To Investigate the Whole Transcriptome and Genomic Profiles of Drug-Resistant Strains of Mycobacterium leprae in order to identify Molecular Signatures that aid in Determination of Drug Resistance in Leprosy” – SIH-R&LC and Indian Council of Medical Research – New Delhi-India - (Co-PI)
5. Innovative DNA amplification and sequencing technologies for detection and surveillance of antimicrobial resistance in leprosy - SIH-R&LC – American Leprosy Missions – PI
6. Validation and Evaluation of the Biomeme FranklinTM Mobile qPCR for rapid detection of Mycobacterium ulcerans – KCCR Ghana and American Leprosy Missions – PI
- Associate Editor – Leprosy Review – 2020 onwards
- Chair of the Expert & Advisory Panels – WHO Buruli Ulcer Laboratory Network (BU-LABNET) – 2019 onwards
- External Advisor – Novartis Leprosy Flagship Program – 2019 onwards
- Co-Chair - Diagnostics Working Group – Global Partnership for Zero Leprosy – 2019 onwards
- Member – WHO Diagnostic Technical Advisory Group for Neglected Tropical Diseases – 2019 onwards
- International Young Scientist Award for Best Poster presentation in Basic Science Research in Leprosy at the 19th International Leprosy Congress in Beijing, China - Sept 18th – 21st 2016
- International Young Scientist Award for Best ePoster presentation in Basic Science Research in Leprosy at the 18th International Leprosy Congress in Brussels, Belgium - Sept 16th – 19th 2013.
- Acworth Leprosy Hospital Society Award for Research, Rehabilitation and Education in Leprosy for Best Scientific Paper Presentation on Leprosy" at the Indian Association of Leprologists Conference (IAL - LEPCON) 2014 at Chandigarh - India (March 28th -30th).
- Best Oral Presentation Award at the 1st Biennial National Conference of the Indian Academy of Science and Nature held in Agra - India in November - 2011. A gold medal and certificate were given for presenting a paper on Interleukin 17F in Leprosy.
- Summer Research Fellowship from Jawaharlal Nehru Center for Advanced Scientific Research – Bangalore, India during April - July 2004 in the Molecular Virology of HIV.
- Member of the Global WHO Sentinel Surveillance study on Drug Resistance in Leprosy.
- Member of the American Society of Microbiology from 2012-till to date.
- Life member of the Indian Association of Leprologist’s – from 2014.
