The Team

After qualifying CSIR-UGC National Eligibility Test (NET) in 2004, I started my research career under the supervision of Prof. Kunal Ray in the Molecular and Human Genetics Division at CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology (IICB), Kolkata, India. The broad area of my research was Molecular Genetics of Human Inherited Traits and Disorders. In course, I did my PhD dissertation on the molecular genetics of Oculocutaneous Albinism. During my PhD and post-doctoral days in CSIR-IICB, I did majorly contribute in the studies conducted for genotyping 1000 medically important genes by Indian Genome Variation Consortium (IGVC) taken up as a CSIR network project. I had also taken a pivotal role in the development of Indian Genetic Disease Database (IGDD) that was accepted as a featured article in Nucleic Acids Research in 2011. In October, 2012, I got the Assistant Professor position in the Department of Genetics, University of Calcutta, India, wherein I continue active research along with my teaching responsibilities. Presently, while one of my focus areas of resaerch is studying genetic variants associated with human disorders like Wilson’s disease and cigarette smoke induced Lung Cancer (along with Oculocutaneous Albinism and Diabetic Retinopathy); I am also keen on understanding the neurogenetics of human happiness, subjective well-being, and sleep quality and patterns. My team practices both dry and wet lab approaches to study the contribution of genetic variations in the aforementioned diseases and traits. 

Arpan Saha, M.Sc in Biotechnology, St. Xavier's College, Kolkata

Arpan is working on understanding the genotype to phenotype correlation in Wilson's Disease in the Indian context. He is deeply interested in finding out the genetic signatures leading to variability in the age of onset and clinical manifestations in patients from the same affected family. He also plans to understand the missing heritability of Wilson's Disease in the Indian context.

Ritisri Mondal, Assistant Professor in Physiology, Netaji Nagar College for Women, Kolkata

Ritisri wants to understand the susceptibility markers of Diabetic Retinopathy in the Indian context. She is working on identifying, prioritizing and functionally annotating the polymorphisms associated with diabetic retinopathy in the Indian subcontinent. 

Asif Iqbal, M.Sc in Genetics, University of Calcutta

Asif's interest is to study phytochemical-based inhibition of the de-differentiation process in lung cancer cells. Towards that goal Asif is targeting the lncRNA LUCAT1 that is otherwise engaged in cellular reprogramming process helping to maintain the cancer stem cell pool in cigarette smoke induced lung cancer. 

Semantee Ray, M.Sc. in Zoology, University of Calcutta

Semantee wants to address the genetic factors involved in the interplay between sleep quality and patterns, and happiness and subjective well-being. Semantee plans to identify the molecular genetic architecture behind a well-perveived notion that having a more positive outlook towards life is inherrently associated with improved sleep quality and vice versa. 

Debrup Dey, M.Sc. in Genetics, University of Calcutta

Debrup is trying to identify the common genetic pathways associated with different aspects of human mental health i.e. cognition, subjective well-being, anxiety, depression and sleep. In fact, strong positive or negative correlations between the aforementioned traits have been established by clinical observations. It would thus be interesting to seek if there is/are common player(s)/pathway(s) behind these determinants of human mental health. 

Sutanuka Sengupta, Contractual faculty in Microbiology, St. Paul's Cathedral Mission College, University of Calcutta

Sutanuka is doing her doctoral research under the guidance of Prof. Ansuman Lahiri, Biophysics, Molecular Biology and Bioinformatics, University of Calcutta, and myself. She is working towards the updation and analysis of Indian Genetic Disease Database V2.0, and inclusion of new modules like that of complex disease association data and chromosomal disorder information pertaining to Indian cases.

Arkopala Bose, M.Sc in Anthropology, University of Calcutta

Arkopala is pursuing PhD under the mentorship of Prof. Arup Ratan Bandyopadhyay, Department of Anthropology, University of Calcutta, and myself. Arkopala wants to identify the genetic variants associated with skin pigmentation variation in different particularly vulnerable tribal (PVT) groups of West Bengal residing in different latitudes and altitudes.  

Tithi Dutta, M.Sc in Biotechnology, St. Xavier's College, Kolkata

Tithi submitted her PhD thesis on ' A Study Pertaining To Genetics,Bioinformatics And Cell Biology Of Human Pigmentation And Related Disorders' in April 2024. Her thesis work was fundamentally based on screening and functionally validating mutations for Oculocutaneous albinsim in Indian patients.  She tried deciphering the enigma of missing heritability of in OCA in the Indian context. Presently, she is working in the Dept.of Paediatrics, Nil Ratan Sircar Medical College and Hospital, Kalkata, as a Project Research Scientist-I.

Tania Saha, M.Sc in Zoology, University of Calcutta

Tania submitted her PhD thesis on 'A Comprehensive Study Of Mitochondrial Contribution In Common Human Diseases', in March 2024. The major focus of her PhD thesis was understanding the association of mitochondrial DNA variations with Parkinson's Disease, Wilson's Disease and Lung Cancer. She majorly contributed in creating the mitochondrial disease module for Indian Genetic Disease Database V2.0. 

Souradeep Bandopadhaya, M.Sc in Microbiology, Vijaygarh Jyotish Ray College, Kolkata

Souradeep worked as a project-assistant from 2021-2023 towards developing new modules in the Indian Genetic Disease Database V2.0. He has been instrumental in data collation, filtering and refinement and meta-analysis for different complex diseases reported from India, with special emphasis on cancers. 

Rittika Dutta, M.Sc. in Biotechnology, University of Calcutta

Rittika, worked as a project-assistant for a year in 2023 towards identification of the genetic factors involved in the interplay between sleep quality an subjective well-being. Presently she is pursuing her PhD in IISER Berhampur, India.

Dr. Rahul Bose, PhD in Genetics, University of Calcutta

Rahul obtained his PhD degree in Aug 2023, under the mentorship of Prof. (retd.) Sumita Jha, Department of Botany, University of Calcutta and Prof. (retd.) Debabrata Basu, Plant Biology Division, Bose Institute and myself. Rahul identified the auxin-responsive transcription factors that are selectively active in rolB-transgenic plants and tried to understand their impact/role in altering plant responses leading to ‘hairy-root’ formation. He is presently working as a Computational Biochemist in the Chakrabarti Advanced Technology LLC, Kolkata.

Dr. Mrinmay Dhauria, PhD in Genetics, University of Calcutta

Mrinmay obtained his PhD degree in May 2023 under the supervision of Prof. Madhusudan Das, Zoology, University of Calcutta, and myself. The focus of his work was to understand the role of genetic variants in the serotoninergic system on human happiness and subjective well being. Presently, he is working as the PrincipalProject Associate, Regional Centre of Biotechnology, Haryana (NCR Delhi), India.

Dr. Kausik Ganguly, PhD in Genetics, University of Calcutta

Dr. Ganguly was awarded the PhD degree in April, 2023. The major focus of his PhD work was elucidating the molecular genetic basis of Oculocutaneous Albinism in the Indian context. Dr. Ganguly is presently working as a Senior Medical Writer at THB, an integrated healthcare data-technology and data analytics platform in Gurgaon.

Dr. Tushar Pyne, PhD in Genetics, University of Calcutta

Dr. Pyne was awarded the PhD degree in July 2022. Tushar, wanted to understand the role of genetic variants of the cannabinois receptors on human happiness and subjective well being. He did submit his PhD thesis under the supervision of Prof. Madhusudan Das, Zoology, University of Calcutta, and myself. Presently, Tushar is positioned as an Analyst of Systematic Reviews at Indence Healthcare, Kolkata. 

Dr. Shubhrajit Roy, PhD in Neuroscience, University of Calcutta

Dr. Roy was awarded PhD degree in September 2021 for his work under the joint supervision of Prof. Jharna Ray, ex-Director, SN Pradhan Centre for Neuroscience, University of Calcutta, Prof. Kunal Ray, retd. Professor, RKMVERI, Narendrapur, and myself. Shubhrajit's work was majorly focused on identifying the modifier loci varainsts responsible for the differential phenotypes in Indian Wilson disease cases. Presently, Shubhrajit has joined Professor Svetlana Lutsenko's laboratory in the Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, USA, as a post-doctoral fellow.

Dr. Debmalya Sengupta, PhD in Genetics, University of Calcutta

Dr. Sengupta received his PhD degree in March 2021. His broad area of research has been understanding the risk factors for the susceptibility and progression of cigarette smoke induced lung cancer. Dr. Sengupta is presently working as a R&D Scientist in Bioprocessing at OmniBrx Biotechnolgies, Vadodara, India.

Sampurna Ghosh, M.Sc in Neuroscience, University of Calcutta

Sampurna has worked in my lab as a Project-Assistant towards elucidating the role of mitochondrial F1F0-ATPase in melanogenesis, from 2015-17. Presently, she is pursuing PhD in the Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology & Immunology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada.

Dr. Arunima Sengupta, UGC-Assistant Professor, Department of Life science & Bio-technology; Jadavpur University

Dr. Sengupta has worked for a brief period of time in my lab Bio-CARe Women Scientist in a project entitled: “AMPK, FOXO and NFATC3 transcription factor function in regulation of cardiomyocyte proliferation”. Later she joined the Department of Life science & Bio-technology; Jadavpur University as an Assistant Professor.