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 Santasabuj Das is currently appointed as Scientist G and Director at the National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases (NICED), Kolkata. He is also the principal investigator and coordinator of the Biomedical Informatics Center of ICMR at NICED. He has the academic and professional background in Clinical Medicine and is pursuing a full-time research career since 1998. He joined NICED as an independent investigator and a permanent employee in January 2005. His current research interest spans several areas of host responses to microorganisms (both pathogens and commensals) including immune responses and vaccine development. The major focus of his research is the pathogenesis of human Salmonella infections, development of subunit and conjugate vaccines against Salmonella Typhi and Paratyphi and the regulation of mucosal immune responses at the intestine during homeostasis as well as under disease conditions, such as intestinal infections and inflammatory bowel diseases. Dr Das extensively uses computational tools, in vitro and in vivo techniques and clinical materials to address his research questions. His laboratory has developed a novel mouse model of Salmonella Typhi infection. Using this model, his research has identified several virulence factors critical for the pathogenesis of Salmonella Typhi and developed a candidate subunit vaccine. His research has unearthed a number of novel signalling mechanisms that underlie pro-apoptotic and anti-cancer role of dietary fibres and regulate intestinal innate immune responses by regulating the expression of Toll-like receptors and small cationic antimicrobial peptides. His research has been funded by extramural grants from all the major funding agencies of the country (ICMR, DBT, CSIR, DST, DHR) as well as the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan and Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development. Dr Das has published 43 original research articles and 3 review articles in reputed international journals, 2 book-chapters and one WHO Module. His innovative research has been granted 2 international and one national patents. In recognition of his seminal contribution to the biomedical and health science research, he has been awarded the National Bioscience Award for Career Development, 2011 by the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India and Fulbright-Nehru Senior Research Fellowship, 2012. He is also an elected member of the West Bengal Academy of Science and Technology.
Name | Dr. Santasabuj Das |
---|---|
Designation | Scientist G and Director |
Date of joining ICMR | 28th January 2005 |
Date of joining the present post | December, 2024 |
Discipline | Host-pathogen interaction, mucosal Immunology |
Email : | director-niced@icmr.gov.in , dasss.niced@gov.in ; santasabujdas@yahoo.com |
Academic Qualifications:- | |
Graduation: | MBBS : University of Calcutta,1989 |
Post Graduation: | M.D. (General Medicine) : University of Calcutta,1996 |
Doctoral: |
# | Institution | Position | Duration | Particulars of work done |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ICMR-National Institute of Occupational Health, Ahmedabad | Scientist G and Director | 28-11-2023 to present | 1. Occupational hazards of bioaerosols exposure 2. Immunotoxicity due to occupational exposures to chemical toxicants |
2 | ICMR-National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases, Kolkata | Scientist G | 01-09-2023 to 24-11-2023 |
1. Intestinal homeostasis and immune response 2. Typhoid fever pathogenesis and vaccine development |
3 | ICMR-National Institute of Occupational Health, Ahmedabad. | Scientist F and Director In-charge |
29-06-2021 to 27-11-2023 |
1. Occupational hazards of bioaerosols exposure 2. Immunotoxicity due to occupational exposures to chemical toxicants |
4 | ICMR-National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases, Kolkata. | Scientist F | 01-09-2018 to 31-08-2023 |
1. Intestinal homeostasis and immune response 2. Typhoid fever pathogenesis and vaccine development |
5 | Do | Scientist E | 01-09-2013 to 31-08-2018 |
Do |
6 | Do | Scientist D | 01-09-2009 to 31-08-2013 |
Do |
7 | Do | Scientist C | 20-01-2005 to 31-08-2009 |
Do |
8 | Molecular Oncology Research Institute, Tufts-New England Medical Center, Boston, MA02111, USA. | Postdoctoral Research Associate | 01-09-2002 to 31-12-2004 |
Cytokine signaling |
9 | Kimmel Cancer Center, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA19107, USA. | Postdoctoral Fellow | 01-05-2000 to 31-08-2002 |
MHC Class II regulation |
10 | National Center for Biological Sciences, Bangalore, India | Visiting Postdoctoral Fellow | 01-11-1998 to 31-03-2000 |
Cervical cancer |
My laboratory has research has significantly contributed to the knowledge of molecular mechanisms, underlying intestinal immune homeostasis and mucosal immune response to infections. We have showed that dietary short-chain fatty acid, butyrate regulates Toll-like receptor 5 homeostasis in the intestine. Our research explored a novel mechanism of the regulation of cationic antimicrobial peptides (CAMP) at the mucosal surface, namely human cathelicidin and beta-defensin 1 by cyclic AMP response element-binding protein (CREB) and activator protein 1 (AP-1), while bacterial exotoxins suppresses CAMP via inducible cyclic AMP early repressor (ICER) and promotes bacterial survival. Additionally, we have studied host-pathogen interactions for intestinal pathogen, Salmonella Typhi, which led to the discovery of novel virulence factors and virulence mechanisms as well as vaccine and drug candidates. My laboratory was the first to develop oral infection models of Salmonella Typhi and Paratyphi infections. These models proved very valuable to study intestinal and systemic pathogenesis of and the immune response to these bacterial pathogens and development of candidate drugs and vaccines.
Ongoing (as PI)
Completed (as PI)
JRF
SRF
Positions available in the Lab
(for candidates having individual fellowships)
Past:
For complete bibliography, please see: http://1.usa.gov/21gp5Ff