Research scientist with extensive international research experience across Germany, Ireland, France, the Netherlands, and India. Specialized in the design and application of metal-based therapeutics, photodynamic therapy, and advanced imaging of tumor spheroids. Pioneering contributions include the development of hypoxia-activated prodrugs and innovative phototherapeutic strategies for next-generation anticancer treatments. Recipient of prestigious Marie-Curie fellowships and author of high-impact publications in leading journals. Recognized for bridging fundamental inorganic chemistry with translational biomedical applications, demonstrating strong interdisciplinary innovation, global collaboration, and a proven record of advancing therapeutic research.
June 2025- Present: Research Associate, Inorganic Chemistry- I, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Germany - Prof. Nils Metzler-Nolte
June 2023-May 2025 : Marie-Curie Individual fellow, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Germany -Prof. Nils Metzler-Nolte
Apr 2022- May2023: Marie-Curie Co fund postdoctoral fellow, Dublin City University, Ireland - Prof. Tia Keyes
Jan 2021- Dec 2021: Postdoctoral Fellow, Sorbonne University, Paris, France. - Prof. Helene C. Bertrand
Oct 2018-Dec 2020 : Postdoctoral Fellow, Leiden University, Netherlands. -Prof. Sylvestre Bonnet
Nov 2016-Mar 2018: Research Scientist, University of Jena, Germany. - Dr. Alexander Schiller
Aug 2012 - Oct 2016 : Doctor of Philosophy from National Chemical Laboratory, India (supervisor: Prof. Amitava Das)
Aug 2011- Oct 2011: Visiting Researcher, Sheffield University, England. in the group of Prof. Jim A Thomas
Apr 2010- Jul 2012: Research Assistant, CSMCRI, India.
Phototherapeutics: Direct two-photon-induced CO release without the involvement of any external stimuli such as H2O2 has been reported for first time and has expanded the logic gate concept into the biological context with Mn-photoCORMs.
Arrested development: A binuclear ruthenium(II)–platinum(II) terpyridyl complex, VR54 (see structure), inhibits cancer cell proliferation. In contrast to the vast majority of metal anticancer agents, VR54 is cytostatic and acts by up-regulating p27KIP1, inhibiting retinoblastoma protein (Rb) phosphorylation and inducing G1 cell cycle arrest.
Two Ruthenium complexes, appropriately functionalized with Uracil (1) and 5-FluorUracil (2), have specific affinity for the lipid dense regions like the endoplasmic reticulum, cell membrane, and cytoplasmic vacuoles in live MCF-7 cells, and dye internalization in these regions happened following an endocytosis pathway.
The synergistic effect of oxygen, light, and photosensitizer (PS) has found applications in medicine for the treatment of cancer through photodynamic therapy (PDT). Induction of apoptosis to cancerous cells will prevent tumor metastasis that spreads cancer cells to the neighboring organs/tissues.
J. Am. Chem. Soc, 2019, 141, 46, 18444-18454
J. Am. Chem. Soc, 2020, 142, 23, 10383-10399
J. Am. Chem. Soc. Au, 2021, 4, 380-395
Nature Chemistry, 2023,15, 980–987.
Red-Light Activation of a Microtubule Polymerization Inhibitor via Amide Functionalization of the Ruthenium Photocage
Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2024, 63, e202316425
Rhenium fac-Tricarbonyl Bisimine Chalcogenide Complexes: Synthesis, Photophysical Studies, and Confocal and Time-Resolved Cell Microscopy
Inorg. Chem. 2024, 63, 2, 1197-1213
Cell viability imaging in tumor spheroids via DNA binding of a ruthenium(II) light-switch complex
The famous ‘‘light-switch’’ ruthenium complex [Ru(bpy)2(dppz)](PF6)2 (1) has been long known for its DNA binding properties in vitro. However, the biological utility of this compound has been hampered by its poor cellular uptake in living cells. Here we report a bioimaging application of 1 as cell viability probe in both 2D cells monolayer and 3D multi-cellular tumor spheroids of the various cell lines (U87, HepG2, A549). When compared to propidium iodide, a routinely used cell viability probe, 1 was found to enhance the staining of dead cells in particular in tumor spheroids. 1 has high photostability, longer Stokes shift and displays lower cytotoxicity compared to propidium iodide, which is a known carcinogenic. Finally, 1 was also found to displace the classical DNA binding dye Hoechst in dead cells, which makes it a promising dye for time dependent imaging dead cells in cell cultures, including multi cellular tumor spheroids.
DOI: 10.1039/D4CC01425A (Communication) Chem. Commun., 2024, Accepted Manuscript
Awards received, Book Chapters & Hot Articles published
RSC Best Poster Award at PUWORP2016
Photochemistry & Photobiological science poster prize 2016
Marie-Curie Award letter 2022
Book Chapter 1
Book Chapter 2
Hot article & Cover Page
Member of IBIC6 organizing committee-DCU, Ireland 2022
Cell culture work experience in ML-II Laboratory
Testing photo bleaching of dyes in live cells
Master & Bachelor thesis supervised
Synthesis, characterization and photophysical properties of Ruthenium(II)- Platinum(II)bis (terpyridyl) complexes- Rweetuparna Guha, 2015, India.
Synthesis and Characterization of Ru (II)- polypyridyl complex with Amide derivatives-Ms Ankita Sarkar, 2016, India.
Synthesis, Characterization and Photophysical properties of Ru(II)- polypyridyl Complex-Mr. Kaushalendra Kumar, 2016, India.
Cytotoxicity, imaging studies of Ru-Polypyridyl complexes in multi-cellular tumor spheroids Lysanne Stokes, 2019, Netherlands.
Synthesis, photophysical studies and cytotoxicity evaluation of a new rhenium tricarbonyl complex- Ashmi Rodrigues, 2021, France.
Self-Referenced Osmium complexes for the detection of Oxygen and pH in cells- Erika Foye Dolan 2022, Ireland
Synthesis and characterization of Ir-Phenylpyridine complexes-Aleena Joseph- May 2025, Germany
Investigation of cisplatin cytotoxicity in various cancer tumour spheroids- Ben Wichmann- May-June 2025, Germany
Educational Background
Ph.D. National Chemical Laboratory, Pune, India (2012-2016)
Thesis title: Design, Synthesis and DNA interaction studies with novel photosensitizer molecules as efficient photodynamic therapeutic agents.
M.Sc. from Andhra University, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India (2007-2009)
B.Sc. from Sri Krishnadevaraya University, Andhra Pradesh, India in (2003-2006)