Selected Publications:
Kurkalang, S., Roy, S., Acharya, A., Mazumder, P., Mazumder, S., Patra, S., Ghosh, S., Sarkar, S., Kundu, S., Biswas, N. K., Ghose, S., Majumder, P. P., & Maitra, A*. (2023). Single-cell transcriptomic analysis of gingivo-buccal oral cancer reveals two dominant cellular programs. Cancer science, 114(12), 4732–4746. https://doi.org/10.1111/cas.15979.
Chakraborty, P., Kurkalang, S., Ghatak, S., Das, S., Palodhi, A., Sarkar, S., Dhar, R., Chenkual, S., Pachuau, L., Zohmingthanga, J., Pautu, J. L., Zomuana, T., Lalruatfela, S. T., Zothanzama, J., Kumar, N. S*., & Maitra, A*. (2023). Deep sequencing reveals recurrent somatic mutations and distinct molecular subgroups in gastric cancer in Mizo population, North East India. Genomics, 115(6), 110741. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ygeno.2023.110741.
Bhattacharjee, E., Thiruvengadam, R., Ayushi, Das, C., GARBH-Ini Team, Wadhwa, N., Natchu, U. C. M., Kshetrapal, P., Bhatnagar, S.*, Majumder, P. P.*, & Maitra, A*. (2023). Genetic variants associated with spontaneous preterm birth in women from India: a prospective cohort study. The Lancet regional health. Southeast Asia, 14, 100190. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lansea.2023.100190.
Das, J., Wadhwa, N., Natchu, U. C., Thiruvengadam, R., Kshetrapal, P., Bhatnagar, S.*, Majumder, P. P.*, & Maitra, A*. (2023). Genome-wide temporal landscaping of DNA methylation in pregnant women delivering at term: a GARBH-InI study. Epigenomics, 15(9), 543–556. https://doi.org/10.2217/epi-2023-0145.
Banerjee, A., Mazumder, A., Roy, J., Das, J., Majumdar, A., Chatterjee, A., Biswas, N. K., Chawla Sarkar, M., Das, S., Dutta, S., & Maitra, A*. (2023). Emergence of a unique SARS-CoV-2 Delta sub-cluster harboring a constellation of co-appearing non-Spike mutations. Journal of medical virology, 95(1), e28413. https://doi.org/10.1002/jmv.28413.
Singh, A. K., Laskar, R., Banerjee, A., Mondal, R. K., Gupta, B., Deb, S., Dutta, S., Patra, S., Ghosh, T., Sarkar, S., Ghosh, S., Bhattacharya, S., Roy, D., Chakraborty, A., Chowdhury, M., Mahaptra, S., Paul, A., Mazumder, A., Chowdhury, A., Chatterjee, S. S., …Maitra, A.*, Biswas, N. K.* (2022). Contrasting Distribution of SARS-CoV-2 Lineages across Multiple Rounds of Pandemic Waves in West Bengal, the Gateway of East and North-East States of India. Microbiology spectrum, 10(4), e0091422. https://doi.org/10.1128/spectrum.00914-22.
Marthong, L., Ghosh, S., Palodhi, A., Imran, M., Shunyu, N. B., Maitra, A.*, & Ghosh, S*. (2020). Whole Genome DNA Methylation and Gene Expression Profiling of Oropharyngeal Cancer Patients in North-Eastern India: Identification of Epigenetically Altered Gene Expression Reveals Potential Biomarkers. Frontiers in genetics, 11, 986. https://doi.org/10.3389/fgene.2020.00986.
Maitra, A., Sarkar, M. C., Raheja, H., Biswas, N. K., Chakraborti, S., Singh, A. K., Ghosh, S., Sarkar, S., Patra, S., Mondal, R. K., Ghosh, T., Chatterjee, A., Banu, H., Majumdar, A., Chinnaswamy, S., Srinivasan, N., Dutta, S.*, & DAS, S*. (2020). Mutations in SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA identified in Eastern India: Possible implications for the ongoing outbreak in India and impact on viral structure and host susceptibility. Journal of biosciences, 45(1), 76. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12038-020-00046-1.
Palodhi, A., Ghosh, S., Biswas, N. K., Basu, A., Majumder, P. P., & Maitra, A*. (2019). Profiling of genomic alterations of mitochondrial DNA in gingivobuccal oral squamous cell carcinoma: Implications for disease progress. Mitochondrion, 46, 361–369. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mito.2018.09.006.
India Project Team of the International Cancer Genome Consortium (2013). Mutational landscape of gingivo-buccal oral squamous cell carcinoma reveals new recurrently-mutated genes and molecular subgroups. Nature communications, 4, 2873. https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms3873.
*Corresponding Author
Oral Cancer
Oral submucous fibrosis (OSMF) is a nonreversible premalignant condition of the oral cavity that is highly prevalent in the Indian subcontinent. We would like to extend our single-cell transcriptomic studies on OSCC to tumours that have arisen in the backdrop of OSMF, to obtain insight into the entire tumour ecology, by delineating unique cell states and gene expression programs as well as cell-cell interactions mediated by ligand-receptor communication. These discoveries will also be taken forward into in vitro and ex vivo models to obtain deep insights into oral cancer pathogenesis and progression. We expect these studies to provide novel information on OSCC and OSMF-associated OSCC which might be valuable for the development of improved diagnosis and treatment.
Preterm birth
We would like to integrate the results obtained from multiple arms of our study to develop methods to predict the risk of preterm birth in women. Such information can be used to triage women at risk of these birth outcomes so that appropriate clinical interventions can be used. We would also like to take forward our findings into mechanistic investigations to gain deep insights into the biological processes that lead to healthy pregnancy and preterm birth, which might result in the development of novel intervention measures. We expect these approaches will help in the reduction of preterm birth deliveries, resulting in the birth of healthy babies who later thrive in life.
Gene regulation in human health
In addition to participating in the Asian Immune Diversity Atlas (AIDA), we will pursue a study using the AIDA data set to understand the role of genomic variations in regulating cell-type-specific gene expression of immune cells in healthy Indian individuals. Traditionally, expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) have been studied mostly using bulk tissue samples which are essentially pools of large numbers of multiple cells, which are substantially heterogeneous across and within various tissue types. However, the average gene expression of the bulk population of cells taken as input for eQTL mapping limits the discovery of cell-specific eQTL signatures. Further, this disregards the fact that, in addition to being tissue-specific, eQTLs might be cell-type and cell-state-specific. Considering the requirement to understand the immune system of healthy individuals, our study will identify the major cell-type and cell state-specific cis and trans eQTLs of peripheral blood immune cells in healthy individuals. We expect such information and further research downstream will help us to understand the diversity of the healthy immune system and use this information to elucidate its role in various infections.
Genomic surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 and other pathogens
Responding to the crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic, I have initiated genomic studies of SARS-CoV-2 in collaboration with many hospitals and research organizations from different regions in India. I have played a lead role in various initiatives on genomics surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 during the pandemic. In the post COVID19 era, I plan to expand the genomic surveillance to other potential pathogen threats and host underpinnings of disease severity.
Capacity Building and Translation
In addition to actively participating in my ongoing collaborations, I would like to forge new ones which are relevant to the mandate of the Institute. An essential component of my efforts will be to train PhD students and young post-doctoral scientists as well as help Faculty and Faculty Fellows by collaborating with them in the various research programs in which I am playing a lead role. I will also continue to provide short term training and organize training workshops to disseminate the expertise and knowledge gathered by our lab in the field. I will help the Genetic Services Unit to expand the diagnostic services by developing genomic diagnostic assays for the molecular detection of various disorders.
Projects: (extramurally funded)
interdisciplinary Group for Advanced research on BirtH outcomes -DBT INdia Initiative (GARBH-Ini), Multi Omics of Mothers and Infants (MOMI), Multi-Omics Signatures of Human Placenta: Real time assessment of underlying mechanisms for prediction of birth outcomes and development, Elucidating the Role of Systemic Immune Responses in Metastasis using Single Cell RNA Sequencing, Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG), SARS-CoV-2 Network for Genomic Surveillance in Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (NGS-BRICS), Asian Immune Diversity Atlas (AIDA)
| Year | Degree | University |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Ph.D | All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi |
| 1993 | M.Sc | University College of Science, University of Calcutta, Kolkata |
| 1991 | B.Sc | Presidency College, University of Calcutta, Kolkata |
• Society of Biological Chemists (SBC)
• Indian Society of Human Genetics (ISHG)
• Calcutta Consortium on Human Genetics (CCHuGe)
• Indian Society of Translational Research (ISTR)
• Indian Association of Cancer Research (IACR)
|
Year |
Award/Recognition |
|
2023 |
Member of Executive Committee of
Indian Society of Human Genetics |
|
2020 |
Vice President of Calcutta
Consortium on human Genetics (CCHuGe) |
|
2020 |
Member of Advisory Board of Cell
Press Star Protocols |
|
2019 |
Fellow of West Bengal Academy of
Science and Technology (WAST) |
|
2018 |
Member of Executive Committee of
Society of Biological Chemists (India) – Kolkata Chapter |
|
2015 |
Awardee, Grand Challenge India –
All Children Thriving Grant |
|
1998 |
Takashi Kurimura Award for the
best paper on HIV research, First International Conference on AIDS INDIA
2000, Chennai |
Lab members
Post Doctoral Fellow
PhD Students
Alumni
Dr. Arindam Palodhi, Dr. Sillarine Kurkalang, Dr. Mrigyanka Chakravarty, Jagyashila Das
