Department of Health Research, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India
स्वास्थ्य अनुसंधान विभाग, स्वास्थ्य और परिवार कल्याण मंत्रालय, भारत सरकार
WHO Collaborating Centre For Research and Training On Diarrhoeal Diseases
Dr. Mamta Chawla-Sarkar joined as Scientist C in Division. of Virology, NICED, Kolkata in January 2006. Dr Chawla Sarkar gained her Master's in Zoology in 1992 from Calcutta University and acquired the degree of Ph.D from Bose Institute-Jadavpur University, Kolkata in 1999. She did her Post-doctoral research work as Research Associate for six years in the Center for drug discovery & development, Taussig Cancer Center, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland. The research project was on analysis of the genes involved in antitumor effects of Interferons and the mechanisms underlying IFN resistance in tumors of different histopathologies. In addition she was also involved in project on role of heme insertion in dimerization and activity of inducible nitric oxide synthetase and study the effect of heme binding inhibitors in modulating NOS activity in various pathological disorders. After joining Division of Virology at NICED, Dr Chawla-Sarkar has been involved in studying two viruses namely Influenza virus and Rotavirus. Her research focus involves strain surveillance, Host-virus interaction and identifying cellular proteins involved in viral pathogenesis for developing potential antiviral targets. As a scientist -in-charge for Influenza surveillance in NICED, Dr Chawla-Sarkar was responsible for providing laboratory support for states in Eastern India during A/H1N1 pandemic in 2009. In 2010, she was promoted to Scientist D (Assistant Director). In 2013, she was elected Fellow of the National academy of science in India (NASI). She was honored with "National Women Bioscientist Award" by Department of Biotechnology in 2013. She is currently working on four projects:
Dr. Chawla-Sarkar has trained number of students and project staff in various aspects of virus research. Six students have completed their Ph.D. program under her guidance and are now doing post doctoral training in USA and Europe. Currently six students are enrolled for Ph.D. under her guidance. She is the author of more than 65 research papers in the peer-reviewed international journals and two Book chapters in the area of Molecular biotechnology, Immunology, Biological Chemistry and Virology.
Name | Dr. Mamta Chawla Sarkar |
---|---|
Designation | Scientist F |
Date of joining ICMR | 09th January 2006 |
Date of joining present post: | 1st September 2014 |
Discipline: | Molecular Virology |
Division | Virology |
Specialization | Virology, Molecular Biology |
Email : | chawla.sarkar.m@icmr.gov.in ; chawlam70@gmail.com |
Academic Qualification | MSc., PhD, FNASc., FNA |
Graduation: | BSc. Zoology (Hons), Calcutta University |
Post Graduation : | MSc. Zoology, Calcutta University |
Doctoral | Microbiology/Life Sciences, Jadavpur University |
Dr. Mamta Chawla-Sarkar has more than 20 years of research experience in the field of biomedical research. She worked on understanding the role of IFN as anti-cancer therapeutics and mechanisms which underly IFN resistance in subset of patients. In addition, a number of compounds were analyzed as anti-cancer therapeutics by her during her post-doctoral tenure in the Center for drug discovery & development, Taussig Cancer Center, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland (1999-2005). After joining in 2006, as an independent faculty in ICMR-NICED, Dr. Chawla-Sarkar started studying both basic and public health aspects of Rotavirus (Enteric) and Influenza A virus (Respiratory), both of which cause significant morbidity worldwide. Her research group focus involves strain surveillance, host-virus interaction and identifying cellular proteins/miRNAs involved in viral pathogenesis for developing potential antiviral targets. She coordinated ICMR's National Rotavirus Surveillance Network and Influenza Surveillance Network in Eastern zone. Dr. Chawla-Sarkar's lab was responsible for providing laboratory support in West Bengal during A/H1N1 outbreaks in 2009, 2015 and 2017. She was part of the NICED-VRDL team in providing laboratory diagnosis during the COVID-19 pandemic, validation of RNA isolation and RT PCR kits approved for diagnosis of the SARS-CoV2 virus. In addition her team performed sequence analysis and phylogenetic analysis of the SARS-CoV2 strains circulating in India.
Research Interests of Dr. Chawla Sarkar and her team
involve studies on both basic and public health aspects
of enteric viruses. There has been substantial
information on epidemiology, vaccine efficacy, genotypes
of circulating rotaviruses prior to introduction of RV
vaccines in India. But information about other enteric
viruses remains scanty. Worldwide, RV vaccines have been
successful in reducing the hospitalization rates and
mortality due to RV but in developing countries there is
still a huge burden of viral gastroenteritis due to low
efficacy of vaccine in these settings. After
implementation of RV vaccines, there are reports of
increase in proportion of other enteric viruses, shift
in genotypes of circulating RV and increased incidence
in elderly and older children from endemic countries in
Africa. India has introduced RV vaccine in 2016, but
impact of RV vaccine has not been assessed yet. Thus,
Dr. Chawla Sarkar's team will continue diarrheal disease
surveillance and monitoring trends on enteric viruses.
In addition, in face of poor vaccine efficacy and high
rotaviral heterogeneity in endemic settings like India,
designing therapeutic approach adjunct to the
prophylactic vaccine would of prime importance to reduce
disease burden of rotaviral gastroentertitis.
Interestingly, dissecting host-virus interaction by
using high throughput omics has identified novel,
non-mutable cellular determinants (proteins/miRNA/metabolic
pathways) which play a pivotal role in virus infection
cycle. These can be subjected to interventions by
selective small molecules or phytochemicals from herbal
source. Dr Chawla Sarkar's team continues their research
focus in screening and characterizing potential
anti-viral therapeutics.