• Human Molecular Genetics
• Genetics of Cardiovascular diseases and Periodontitis
• Principal Investigator for the project titled, “Association of cardiac remodeling with circulatory biomarkers; caveolin-3, growth differentiation factor-15 and suppressor of tumorigenicity in post-MI – An observational study”
• Cardiovascular risk prediction using standard and novel tools among adults visiting a tertiary care hospital in Chengalpet district – a cross-sectional study
• Thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) registry
• Utility of novel protein biomarker panel in patients with acute myocardial infarction – A prospective pilot study (Collaborative project with University of Geneva, Sweden) – Patient recruitment and data collection
• COVID-19 registry
• Identification of risk alleles associated with Diabetic Kidney Disease (DKD) using whole exome sequencing approach (ZIFO RnD solutions) – Patient recruitment and submission of electronic CRF.
An open label single arm clinical study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of psoramit ointment in patients suffering from mild to moderate psoriasis (Himalayas Drug company) -Data collection, CRF filling and study close out.
• Research Associateship (14th March 2019 to 7th June 2020) and Senior Research Fellowship (8th June 2018 to 13th March 2019) at SRIHER: Awarded by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) in the project entitled “Identification of differential microRNA expression as a shared genetic marker for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and periodontitis”. The aim of this study was to identify any differences in the pro- inflammatory cytokines and the selected microRNAs (miR-146a, miR-21, miR-133, miR-208a and miR-155) expression in periodontitis patients with or without ACVDs, which may suggest novel molecular pathways that this miRNA network may affect. The study proposed to identify potential candidate miRNAs as promising markers of ACVD associated periodontal disease, with the use of salivary miRNAs as a non-invasive method.
• Research Assistant (1st August 2017 to 7th June 2018) at SRIHER: Project entitled “Genetics of type 2 diabetes in India: Tamil Nadu Diabetes Family Genetics Study” funded by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Government of India. The work involved recruitment of study participants from an ethnic endogamous group from large families, collection of phenotypic information relating to type 2 diabetes (T2D) and its related cardiometabolic traits and information on environmental covariates; collection of blood samples from the families and processing the samples for genotyping analysis
• Senior Research Fellow (1st November 2012 to 31st March 2015) at SRIHER: Department of Science & Technology-SERB funded project the IL-1 gene polymorphisms and chronic periodontitis: Causal or Casual association?. The primary goal of this case- control study was to identify whether polymorphisms of the IL-1 gene cluster (IL-1A, IL-1B and IL-1RN VNTR) contribute to periodontitis susceptibility in an Indian population. In addition, the functionality of the examined polymorphisms was assessed. As an extension of the project functionality analysis of the polymorphisms using the gene expression studies was performed
• Junior Executive (October 2011 to July 2012) at Vision Research Foundation, Sankara Nethralaya. Routine molecular diagnostics; processing and analysis of samples using PCR, DNA sequencing and immunoflourescence methods
Advanced molecular methods:
• DNA sequencing, Real time PCR (Gene expression, MicroRNA expression, Methylation and Allelic Discrimination), Bisulphite conversion and DNA methylation analysis using MSP-PCR. Certified hands-on training in flow cytometry and Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) using MiSeq Illumina platform.
Basic techniques:
• DNA& RNA Isolation, Primer designing, Polymerase chain reaction (Allele specific, RFLP, Nested).
Bioinformatics and Statistical tools:
• Data and information retrieval from databases like Pubmed and Gene expression Omnibus, gene dataset analysis and interpretation, microRNA identification using web-interfaces (miRNet 2.0, TargetScan, miRdB, miRWalk, miRTarBase), target prediction, gene enrichment analysis and protein-protein interaction network visualization, gene sequencing data retrieval, mutation detection using Seqscape and Chromas. Statistical softwares like SPSS, Epi info v7, Multidimensionality Reduction analysis (MDR)
Cell culture techniques:
• Establishment of human gingival fibroblast (HGF) culture (tissue explant culture) and maintenance of cell lines.
Scientific writing and editing:
• Experience in writing research papers, review articles (narrative and systematic reviews), proofreading and manuscript editing, grant/proposal writing, research and academic projects.
• Awarded DST-INSPIRE Faculty by the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India (Offer letter Ref no: DST/INSPIRE/04/2021/000618) w.e.f. 5th July 2022.
• Awarded Senior Research Fellowship by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Government of India (Ref No. 45/1/2018-Nan/BMS), upgraded to Research associate w.e.f March 2019
• Participated in International workshop On Integrated Approches to foods,Diet and health:Indian and European perspectives held on 8 th and 9 th feb,2011.
• Best poster award for “Genetic and epigenetic interactions to establish a link between periodontitis and cardiovascular disease’, presented at the Indian Society of Human Genetics (ISHG) conference ACTG-ISHG 2020 held at SRIHER on 13th to 15th February 2020.
• Best publication award for the article titled “Differential expression of microRNAs let‐7a, miR‐125b, miR‐100 and miR‐21 and interaction with NF‐kB pathway genes in periodontitis pathogenesis” published in the Journal of Cellular Physiology in 2018. The Certificate of Merit and cash award was presented by The Chancellor of SRIHER on 18th September 2018.
Assistant Professor, Alagappa College of Technology
Anna University, Chennai 600025
: drpriyankavenugopal@gmail.com; priyanka.iyer5@gmail.com
919962420953