About Me

I am a chemist, biologist, and drug designer with over four decades of experience in biomedical research and academia. Currently serving as an Emeritus Medical Scientist with the Indian Council of Medical Research, I am also the Former Professor and Dean of the School of Biotechnology at Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, where I have dedicated 35 years to postgraduate teaching and research.

My academic journey has been enriched by training under two Fellows of the Royal Society. I earned my D.Phil in Photochemistry from Allahabad University in 1978 under the guidance of Prof. Nil Ratan Dhar, FRS, followed by a Ph.D. in Drug Design and Synthesis from the University of New Brunswick, Canada in 1980, supervised by Prof. Karel Wiesner, FRS. My doctoral work on synthesizing cardioactive drugs led to a patent by Hoffman La Roche—a cardiac glucopyranoside with high inotropic activity and an exceptional safety margin that was taken forward for clinical trials.

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My international research experience spans prestigious institutions across three continents. I've held fellowships at the Max-Planck Institute in Germany (1981-82), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (1982-83), and Yale University (1983-1990), where I led the Molecular Biology Group in the Division of Oncology. I later served as Assistant Professor of Medicine, Molecular Biology & Pharmacology at the Medical College of Georgia, USA (1991-1994), where my work earned recognition through the American Cancer Society Award and multiple research grants.

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Research Philosophy and Discoveries

​My research has centered on understanding the intersection of oxygen biology, cancer therapeutics, and molecular chaperone mechanisms. I am particularly known for pioneering work on the tumor suppressor protein p53 and its behavior in hypoxic tumor microenvironments. Some of my significant discoveries include:

• Establishing CHIP as a molecular chaperone of p53 (2007), revealing novel pathways for protein degradation and quality control in cells

• Discovering p53's function as a molecular chaperone (2011), demonstrating how wild-type p53 can rescue mutant conformations—a finding that opened new therapeutic avenues

• Developing oxygen therapy for hypoxic tumors (2012), showing that controlled re-oxygenation can restore p53 function and trigger tumor regression without adverse effects

• Identifying SCO2 as a tumor suppressor protein (2013) and its role in p53-mediated apoptosis pathways

• Preventing β-amyloid formation in Alzheimer's disease (2015) through CHIP-mediated degradation of β-secretase

• Creating 3D synthetic matrices for tumor modeling (2022), enabling more accurate ex-vivo cancer research

 

My work has revealed that p53's cellular fate decisions—between survival and death—are intricately regulated by oxygen availability and post-translational modifications. I've demonstrated how gallium compounds, gold nanoparticles, and oxygen-releasing manganese-clay hybrid complexes can be harnessed for targeted cancer therapy. My research on chaperone synergy, autophagy-mediated degradation of oncogenic p53 mutants, and p53's dual role in myocardial infarction has contributed to our understanding of how cellular stress responses can be therapeutically manipulated.

Academic Leadership and Mentorship throughout my career, I have supervised 90 Master's students and 30 Ph.D. scholars, nurturing the next generation of biotechnology researchers. As Founder Dean of the School of Biotechnology at JNU (2006-2007) and later as Dean (2015-2017), I helped shape the institution's research agenda and academic programs. I have served on numerous national and international committees, including the DBT Cancer Task Force, ICMR Neurobiology Task Force, NBA Accreditation Committees, and editorial boards of prestigious journals like Nature Chemical Biology, Journal of Biological Chemistry, Oncogene, and Cell Death & Disease.

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Beyond the Laboratory

My intellectual pursuits extend beyond molecular biology. I have a deep interest in consciousness studies, comparative philosophy, social ethics, public health, education, and the welfare of disabled and elderly populations. My 2022 book, Mind Phenomenon, explores the mind-body entanglement puzzle from a novel perspective, examining how mind expresses itself at the cellular level and discussing the origins of polarities, propensities, and chaos at both cellular and mental levels.

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I believe science must serve society. My involvement in public health initiatives, governance committees, and educational reform reflects my commitment to translating laboratory discoveries into tangible benefits for human wellbeing. Whether designing safer cardiac drugs, developing therapies for cancer and Alzheimer's disease, or exploring the fundamental nature of consciousness, my work is guided by a singular principle: rigorous scientific inquiry in service of healing and understanding.

Having published extensively in high-impact journals and presented at international conferences, I remain actively engaged in research on oxygen biology, gene therapeutics, 3D tumor modeling, and the therapeutic potential of molecular chaperones. As I continue my journey as an Emeritus Scientist, I am driven by the conviction that the most profound scientific breakthroughs often emerge at the intersection of disciplines—where chemistry meets biology, where molecular mechanisms illuminate philosophical questions, and where laboratory discoveries transform into clinical hope.