Research

Research in Progress

UG projects

  1. Study on Escalation and De-escalation of empirical antimicrobial therapy for culture proven Blood Stream Infections
  2. Patterns of hospital acquired infections and their antimicrobial resistance among various intensive care units of a tertiary care hospital in South India
  3. Educational intervention to increase hepatitis B vaccination among SMC workers of JIPMER.
  4. Needle stick injuries among health care workers in a tertiary care hospital of India
  5. Clinico-microbial profile of fungal keratitis and detection of Pythium insidiosum- a pilot study
  6. Prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections in selected areas of Puducherry.

PG projects

  1. Molecular identification of Mycobacterium bovis in patients with tuberculosis attending a tertiary care hospital in South India (2019-21)
  2. Assessment of Plasmodium falciparum histidine rich protein2 and / 3(Pfhrp2 &/ Pfhrp 3) gene deletion or mutation in Plasmodium falciparum positive blood samples.
  3. Resistance patterns to sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine, chloroquine and artemisinin in Plasmodium vivax isolates from patients attending a tertiary care hospital in Puducherry
  4. Detection of Entamoeba histolytica and bacterial etiological agents in patients with clinically suspected cases of liver abscesses.
  5. Speciation and antifungal susceptibility pattern of Candida parapsilosis complex by Polymerase Chain Reaction (2017-19)
  6. Effect of extract of Centella asiatica on Vibrio cholerae toxin production, gene expression and its vibriocidal effect. (2017-19)
  7. Bacteremia due to Obligate Anaerobes following large bowel surgery – A Descriptive Study (2017-2020).
  8. Use of MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry for identification of obligate anaerobes and determination of antimicrobial susceptibility of the anaerobic Gram negative bacilli (2018-2020)
  9. Quantitative real time PCR for detection of Mycobacterium leprae DNA in tissue specimens from patients with leprosy: A pilot study (2018-20)
  10. Prevalence and molecular identification of non-tuberculous mycobacteria in patients with pulmonary and extrapulmonary infections (2018-20)
  11. Evaluation of real time polymerase chain reaction targeting mpb64 gene for diagnosis of extrapulmonary tuberculosis (2016-19)
  12. Characterization of mutations associated with virulence and antiviral resistance in Influenza A pdm06 isolated during 2016-17 epidemic (2017-19)
  13. Evaluation of different screening methods for detection of hetero resistant vancomycin intermediate Staphylococcus aureus ( hVISA) isolates (2018-19)
  14. Temporal profile of BKV & CMV reactivation in renal transplant patients. (2018-19)
  15. Speciation of the coagulase negative staphylococci isolated from blood and other sterile body fluids and their antimicrobial resistance pattern
  16. Clinical and microbial profile of necrotising fascitis with focus on detection of virulence genes of beta hemolytic streptococci and Staphylococcus aureus
  17. Role of Immunocytochemistry in detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosisantigen by fine needle aspiration cytology
  18. Eicosanoids, CNS inflammation, and clinical outcome in tubercular meningitis
  19. Diagnostic accuracy of XPERT MTB/RIF for tuberculous lymphadenitis.
  20. Astroglial injury and impairment of consciousness in tubercular meningitis.
  21. Profile of extra-pulmonary tuberculosis cases and its notification under national program in a tertiary care center, Puducherry: An operational research.
  22. Knowledge on Practices of Health-care-associated Infection Control among the Health Care personnel in Intensive Care Units in Tertiary Hospital , Puducherry
  23. Effect of hand hygiene training on Hand hygiene complete adherence rate (HHCAR) among intensive care unit staffs in a tertiary health care centre in South India
  24. Project on Assessment of knowledge and practice of hand hygiene practices among mothers of 0-2 years age child in an urban area of Puducherry
  25. Enterovirus Genotypes in Patients with Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease attending JIPMER hospital.
  26. The association of human papillomavirus in oral cavity and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma in a tertiary hospital in south India.
  27. Comparison of Seroconversion Response to Hepatitis B Vaccination in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia during Induction and Maintenance Phase of Chemotherapy.
  28. Comparison of L1 based and E6/ E7 primers in detection of HPV for malignancies of Head and Neck region.
  29. Evaluation of HBc Ag for Occult Hepatitis B Infection with  Total Anti Hepatitis B Core Antigen  and Pooled Hepatitis B Virus De-oxy Ribonucleic acid (DNA) Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)  in blood donors.
  30. Evaluation of Hepatitis B seroprotection status in pediatric nephrotic syndrome: A cross sectional study.
  31. Multiplex polymerase chain reaction for identification of Candidaspecies from blood stream infection
  32. Prevalence and risk factors of Clostridium difficileinfection in hospitalized patients with diarrhea, a cross sectional analytical study.
  33. Characterization of mutations associated with virulence and antiviral resistance in Influenza A pdm06 isolated during 2016-17 epidemic.
  34. Evaluation of real time polymerase chain reaction targeting mpb64 gene for diagnosis of extrapulmonary tuberculosis.
  35. The impact of auditing of antimicrobial stewardship programme on regulating the policy adherence and antimicrobial usage in selected intensive care units.
  36. Proportion of herpes simplex virus, Treponema pallidumand Hemophilusducreyi infection in patients with genital ulcer disease using conventional PCR.
  37. Intestinal parasitic infestation in cancer patients on treatment with special reference to Strongyloides
  38. Speciation and antifungal susceptibility pattern of Candida parapsilosiscomplex by polymerase chain reaction.
  39. Effect of extract of Centellaasiaticaon Vibrio cholerae toxin production, gene expression and its vibriocidal effect.
  40. Role of antigen –antibody combination ELISA in diagnosis of Hepatitis C virus disease.
  41. Diagnostic accuracy of loop mediated isothermal amplification polymerase chain reaction for detection of ipah gene of Shigellafrom stool samples in children.
  42. An in vitro study of the effect of fosfomycin in combination withamikacin, ciprofloxacin and imipenem on the biofilm formed by multidrug resistant urinary isolates of Escherichia coli.
  43. Detection of additional reactive cases of HIV by MINI VIDAS using HIV DUO kit among serodiscordant couples.
  44. Speciation and detection of virulence factors among candidemia isolates by phenotypic methods.
  45. Determination of metronidazole susceptibility pattern of Bacteroidesfragilisgroup isolates obtained from anaerobic infections in a tertiary care centre, south India.
  46. Genotype distribution of Hepatitis B virus in a tertiary health care hospital in south India.
  47. Comparison of caudal administration of levobupivacaine 0.25% and 0.125% with 1 μg/kg dexmedetomidine in children for postoperative pain relief.
  48. Comparison of ultrasound-guided interscalene, infraclavicular and supraclavicular brachial plexus blocks: a randomized, controlled, observer-blinded study.
  49. Bacteremia due to obligate anaerobes following Large Bowel Surgery- A descriptive study.
  50. Prevalence and molecular identification of non-tuberculous mycobacteria in patients with pulmonary and extrapulmonary infections
  51. Clinical and microbiological characteristics and outcome of peritoneal dialysis related peritonitis.
  52. A study of practice pattern and complications associated with use of temporary hemodialysis catheter
  53. Post-operative cranial infection profile and its associated factors in elected cranial surgeries- a prospective observational study in a tertiary care center.
  54. Antimicrobial usage in medical wards at a tertiary care center-a prospective audit
  55. The Effect of Probiotics on Ventilator Associated Pneumonia – A Randomized Controlled Trial
  56. Knowledge on Practices of Health-care-associated Infection Control among the Health Care personnel in Intensive Care Units in Tertiary Hospital , Puducherry
  57. Project on Assessment of knowledge and practice of hand hygiene practices among mothers of 0-2 years age child in an urban area of Puducherry.
  58. Comparison of the use of three different stool preservatives on the morphology of intestinal parasites.
  59. A study of ventilator associated pneumonia in medical intensive care unit with special reference to non-fermentative Gram negative bacilli.
  60. Detection of vancomycin variable enterococci among clinical isolates of Enterococcus faecium
  61. Detection of hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae among clinical isolates from select infections using virulence gene markers

PhD projects

  1. Molecular diagnosis, strain typing and transcriptomic profiling of Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolated from patients with tuberculous meningitis (2019-22)
  2. Soil transmitted helminth infections in pregnancy in Puducherry, south India: Prevalence, associated factors and effect of anti-helminthic treatment
  3. Proteomic-profiling for identification of an immunodiagnostic target for neurocysticercosis (2011-19)
  4. Epidemiological, molecular and Bioinformatic studies on Streptococcus pneumoniae (2015-19)
  5. Molecular characterisation of Entamoeba dispar and in-silico approach to understand its pathogenic role in humans (2013-18)
  6. Reduced susceptibility or resistance to vancomycin in Gram positive cocci: mechanisms and risk factors
  7. Prevalence, genetic diversity and pathogenesis study of Blastocystis in humans.
  8. Molecular epidemiology, genetic diversity and drug resistance in symptomatic and asymptomatic carriers of Giardiaspp – community based study.
  9. Antimicrobial resistance and molecular characterization of clinical and asymptomatic carrier isolates of group A beta hemolytic streptococci
  10. Study of virulence pattern, antimicrobial resistance and genetic relatedness of Escherichia coliisolated from diarrhoeal stool samples
  11. Genetic analysis of virulence factors in Shigella
  12. Study of bacterial stress response (SOS) with respect to horizontal gene transfer in Vibrio cholerae
  13. Whole genome sequence analysis of Staphylococcus haemolyticuswith special reference to mobile genetic elements affecting virulence, antimicrobial resistance and clonality.
  14. Whole genome sequencing of clinical and environmental isolates of Burkholderia pseudomalleiand seroprevalence of melioidosis in selected high risk population in and around Puducherry.

Faculty projects

  1. Learning the effect of Parasites and Reinforcing diets on Tuberculosis (TB-LEOPARD) (2020-2024)
  2. Helminth immunomodulation in Rheumatoid arthritis – understanding the role of human monocytes. (2019-2023)
  3. Quantification of Immune Cell Types and Identification of Cell Type Specific Biomarker Expression in Pulmonary and Extra-Pulmonary Tuberculosis Patients (2019-2021)
  4. Tuberculosis - Learning the impact of Nutrition (TB-LION) (2018-2022)
  5. Study of save our souls (SOS) bacterial stress response with reference to horizontal gene transfer in Vibrio cholera (2018-2021)
  6. Pyrexia of unknown origin - a prospective study in JIPMER
  7. Comparison of diagnostic accuracy of faecal swab, conventional dry sampling method and PCR for intestinal parasites – a pilot study (2016 – 18)
  8. Inflammatory biomarkers as a triage test for screening symptomatic TB (2017-18)
  9. A multicenter phase II/III double-blind, randomized, placebo controlled study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of VPM1002 in the prevention of tuberculosis (TB) recurrence in pulmonary TB patients after successful TB treatment in India (2017-18)
  10. Biomarkers for Risk of TB and for TB Treatment Failure and Relapse. It is an Indo- US Vaccine Action Program (VAP) Initiative on Tuberculosis Research: Regional Prospective Observational Research for Tuberculosis
  11. Predictors of Resistance Emergence Evaluation in Multidrug Resistant-Tuberculosis Patients on Treatment
  12. Comparison of SPAN Diagnostics and TUBERSOL purified-protein derivative (PPD) skin test (TST) antigen solutions in detecting latent tuberculosis infection in India (2016-18)
  13. A Multi-Centric Hospital Based Study on Epidemiology of Keratoconjunctivitis in India.
  14. Validation of host differentially expressed biomarkers of tuberculosis for patent exemplification and PoC diagnostic test development (2015-18)

Grants obtained

  1. Sujatha S received grants of
  • INR 41 crores from Indian Council of Medical Research for the project, “Antimicrobial and biocide resistance among staphylococci and enterococci with special reference to whole genome sequencing and transcriptome analysis of hVISA isolates” (2019-23)
  • INR 2.77 crores from Indian Council of Medical Research for the project ‘Nodal coordinating centre for surveillance of antimicrobial resistance in Staphylococcus and Enterococcus species’.(2014-2019)
  • INR 18,24,000 from ICMR(for RA post and contingency) for a project titled,” The global Pneumococcal Sequence Clusters (GPSC ) in India: Association with serotypes, virulence profiles and antimicrobial resistance” (2021-2023)
  1. Jharna Mandal received grants of
  • 50 lacs from DST for the project, “A comprehensive analysis of the changing diversity of Shigella in terms of its virulence, resistance, and serotype” (2019-21)
  • INR 9,25,000 from CSIR for the project, “Study of save our souls or SOS bacterial stress response with reference to horizontal gene transfer in Vibrio cholerae”
  1. Rakesh Singh received grants of
  • INR 3,44, 20,000 from DHR for the project, “Establishing a network of labs for fungal diagnosis in India through the VRDL network” (2019- onwards)
  • INR 5,77,500 from ICMR for the project, “Serum (1-3)-beta-D-Glucan as a tool for detecting invasive fungal disease in a tertiary care hospital” (2019- onwards)
  1. Dr Rahul Dhodapkar  received grants of
  • 16 crores from the Department of Health Research for the project ‘Establishment of Regional Virology Network Laboratory for Establishment of a network of Laboratories for managing epidemics and Natural Calamities (VRDL) (2017-23)
  • A Multi-Centric Hospital Based Study on Epidemiology of Keratoconjunctivitis in India by DHR as Coordinating centre Amount - 1.3 cr (2017-20)
  • 10,000 USD from JAANA for the project, “Immune monitoring based prediction of Cytomegalovirus infection or disease in kidney and bone marrow transplant recipients” (2018-21)
  • Regional Influenza laboratory - 11 lakhs
  • State Surveillance Hospital for Arboviral infections - Dengue & Chikungunya - 1 lakh
  1. Dr Noyal Mariya Joseph received grants of
  • GBP23,522 from Public Health England for the project, “Quantification of Immune Cell Types and Identification of Cell Type Specific Biomarker Expression in Pulmonary and Extra-Pulmonary Tuberculosis Patients” (2018-22)
  1. Nonika Rajkumari received grants of
  • INR 70 lakhs from DBT for the project, “Community based study of Cryptosporidium species among patients with diarrhea and in drinking and recreational water sources from two geographic regions in India and their molecular characterisation” (2019-21)
  • INR 87 lakhs from DBT for the project “Helminth immunomodulation in Rheumatoid arthritis – understanding the role of human monocytes.” (2019- 23)

Last Updated: 16 Feb 2022