TB MBSLab @ SVC - About the PI

About the PI

Overview

Dr. Vandana Malhotra from the Department of Biochemistry at Sri Venkateswara College is an established scientist in the field of Tuberculosis with more than 15 years of experience in signal transduction networks, regulation of gene expression and mechanisms of mycobacterial persistence.

She did her Ph.D with Prof. Jaya S. Tyagi, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi where she created a gene knockout in M. tuberculosis devR gene, a first of its kind from an asian laboratory. She did post doctoral research at The Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, USA under the mentorship of Prof. Josephine E. Clark-Curtiss where she explored the role of Ser/Thr protein kinases in TB pathobiology. Her studies implicated M. tuberculosis protein kinase K in stress-induced growth adaptation of mycobacteria. Subsequent studies established a role for PknK in translational control mechanisms as a means to regulate growth of M. tuberculosis. These findings have the potential to be exploited for the development of inhibitor molecules and novel anti-mycobacterial strategies to target and prevent mycobacterial growth.

Dr. Malhotra has a US patent, several publications and research grants to her credit.

DID YOU KNOW ?

Tuberculosis is called "Consumption" in Latin
In 17th Century, TB was believed to be a disease of the Romantics !
To discover more interesting facts about TB, CLICK HERE !

Education

Ph.D 2002 – Biotechnology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), N. Delhi, India.

Masters of Science 1995 – Biotechnology, Madurai Kamaraj University (MKU), India.

Bachelors of Science 1993 – Biochemistry, Delhi University, India. Magna Cum Laude

Career Goals and Objectives

To establish as a Educator, Mentor and a Scientist, and to leverage expertise in microbial physiology, biochemistry, and pathogenesis into infectious disease research particularly, tuberculosis with primary focus on mechanisms of mycobacterial signal transduction systems, regulation of gene expression, host-pathogen interactions and identification of candidate antigens for the design and development of effective vaccines and novel targets for anti-tubercular drugs.