Profile

Education

1. BSc Biochemistry (1998-2001)

Daulat Ram College, University of Delhi

2. MSc Biochemsitry (2001-2003)

Dept of Biochemistry, Unversity of Delhi South Campus

3. PhD Biochemistry (2003-2009)

Dept of Biochemistry, University of Delhi South Campus

Mentor: Prof. Anil K Tyagi

Work Experience

I have had a diverse and enriching journey of 15 Years post-PhD in the field of research and teaching, spanning over several prestigious institutions (see list below). It began as a Research Associate at the University of Delhi South Campus under the guidance of Prof. Anil K Tyagi. Later, I served as a Scientist-C at the same institution. Seeking international exposure, I pursued a Post-doctorate at the University of Maryland, USA, in the Department of Microbial Pathogenesis at the School of Dentistry. Following that, I joined the renowned Centre for Tuberculosis at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland, USA, where I worked as a Post-doctorate in the HHMI Lab under the mentorship of Prof. William R Bishai for four years. I further expanded my expertise as a Senior Research Fellow at MGH and Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, collaborating with Prof. Ramnik Xavier. Currently, I hold the esteemed position of Assistant Professor and Ramalingaswami Fellow at the Department of Biological Sciences, BITS Pilani Hyderabad. My extensive experience across multiple institutions has shaped me into a well-rounded researcher with a deep understanding of my field.

1. Research Associate (2008-2010)

Dept of Biochemistry, University of Delhi South Campus

Lab: Prof. Anil K Tyagi

2. Scientist-C (2010-2011)

Dept of Biochemistry, University of Delhi South Campus

Lab: Prof. Anil K Tyagi

3. Post-doctorate (2012)

Department of Microbial Pathogenesis at School of Dentistry, University of Maryland, USA.

4. Post-doctorate (2012-2016)

Center for Tuberculosis, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA

HHMI Lab: Prof. William R Bishai

5. Senior Research Fellow (May 2016-Nov 2016)

MGH and Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard

Lab: Prof. Ramnik Xavier

6. Assistant Professor (Level 13A) and Ramalingaswami Fellow (2017 -till date)

Dept of Biological Sciences, BITS Pilani Hyderabad

Research Interest

As the group leader of the Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Tuberculosis Research at BITS Pilani Hyderabad, I aim to become a global leader in tuberculosis research, with a specific focus on "vaccines and therapeutics for women's reproductive health and paediatric tuberculosis." This neglected area carries immense national and international significance. With 20 years of experience in tuberculosis research, expertise in vaccine and therapeutics development & testing, and extensive training in biosafety and biosecurity, I am confident in achieving my vision.

I am particularly excited about our patented dual-use Bladder cancer-cum-TB vaccine, which was developed by me and my colleagues at Johns Hopkins University in the laboratory of Prof. William R Bishai. It has proven to be highly effective against TB and bladder cancer in pre-clinical studies and is now tech transferred for first phase of further clinical testing. We are also eager about novel anti-TB drugs that we recently discovered and patented by our lab at BITS Hyderabad. Combined with my ongoing translational research, I anticipate to expand my research arena and entrepreneurial skills, contributing to the global effort to end tuberculosis.

My research encompasses fascinating yet challenging areas such as

1. Exploring the role of Flavins in the host-pathogen interaction during M. tuberculosis infection.

2. We are focusing currently on identifying new drug targets against M. tuberculosis along with discovering their mechanism of action through in silico, in vitro (biochemical, microbiological, biophysical, molecular and immunological) approaches, and to test these potent anti-TB drugs in vivo animal models of TB.

3. We are also dedicated to designing and developing clinical trial-ready, antibiotic marker-free, CRISPR-engineered BCG-based recombinant vaccines that minimize regulatory hurdles. These vaccines can serve as delivery vehicles for small molecule-based adjuvants like c-di-AMP, c-di-GMP, and MAIT cell agonists.

4. Furthermore, my lab is committed to studying the impact of tuberculosis on maternal and fetal health, reproductive tract disorders, and infertility. To accomplish this, we are developing novel in vitro and in vivo animal models that serve as platforms for screening potent anti-TB drugs, host-directed therapies, and targeted treatments for women with TB.

5. We have also established rapid molecular methods to detect genital or wound infections by pathogens of concern including TB & ESKAPE.

Through these research endeavors, we aim to make significant contributions to tuberculosis research and address the specific needs of vulnerable populations.

Present and Past Team

As a group leader, I had the privilege of mentoring a total of 27 students, spanning undergraduate, postgraduate, and PhD levels, on captivating projects in microbiology, molecular biology, genetics, and protein engineering. These exceptionally imaginative students collaborated closely with us, propelling us into ground-breaking initiatives in Diagnostics, Drug targeting, Vaccine design, genetically engineered strains, and host-pathogen interactions. We take immense pride in their remarkable achievements as they have flourished in their personal and professional journeys. Some are currently pursuing advanced degrees (PhD or MS) at esteemed international and national universities, while many hold influential positions in prominent international and national agencies.

Current Team Members:

PhD students – 6 Students

1. Naresh Patnaik (2018-till date)- ICMR SRF, Rapid Diagnostics (Pathogens associated with female infertility)- Soon to graduate

2. Monica Singh (2019-till date)- Lady Tata Memorial JRF, Drug development (Anti-TB drugs)- Soon to graduate

3. Kotwal Shifa Bushra (2020- till date)- JRF, Indo-USA DBT Vaccine development project (Anti-TB vaccines)

4. Nidhi O (2020-till date)- JRF, LSRB, DRDO project on Rapid Diagnostics + In vitro models of Genital Tuberculosis

5. Anannya Dhanwal (2021-till date)- CSIR JRF-NET (Riboflavin pathway - a mycobacterial virulence strategy)

6. Puja Bharadwaj (2023-till date)- Institute Fellow, In vivo models of Genital Tuberculosis

Current ME Project students (2023) – 1

Arpita Verma, ME Biotechnology

Current MSc Thesis (External) (2023) - 1

Kushal Johri (Jiwaji University Gwalior)

Current MSc Dual Degree Project Interns from BITS-Pilani- Hyderabad

(2023) – 5 Students

1. Suket Chandra

2. Aviral Harsh

3. Abhishek Bhansali

4. Samyak Jain

5. Nikhil Mogalapalli

Alumni who interned with us:

A. ME Thesis (BITS Hyderabad ME Biotechnology Students) – 5 ME Thesis

1. Neha Ashtikar (2019)- Currently working as research Associate at Intas Pharmaceutical

2. Pooja V Chandran (2020)- Currently Senior Executive - Quality Assurance at Biocon Biologics

3. Haripriyaa Thangarajan (2020)- Currently pursuing PhD in JNU

4. Jaya Manocha (2021)- Currently working as Associate Product Manager at Edfora

5. Remanika Girish Kumar (2021)- Currently doing research internship at Duke-NUS Medical School (Duke-NUS), Singapore

B. Msc Dual Degree Project Interns from BITS Pilani Hyderabad - 5

1. Chennareddy Sandeep (2019) - Currently pursuing Masters in Computer Science from Virginia Tech

2. Kritika Kasliwal (2019)- Currently pursuing PhD at Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences

3. G Vamsi Krishna Reddy (2019)

4. Prakhar Singh Tomar (2022) - Currently working as Solutions Engineer with Avaamo

5. Pratyusha Reddy (2022)- Currently working as a Summer Intern CSIR-CEERI

C. JRFs trained (Project) - 4

1. Nidhi (2018-2019)- Centre for Human Disease Research, JRF- Currently pursuing PhD in our Lab

2. Divya Meena (2019)

3. Poojitha Potharaju (2019-2020)- Centre for Human Disease Research, JRF- Currently pursuing PhD in CSIR-Center for Cellular and MolecularBiology

4. Wajeeda Tabasum (2020-2021)

Membership of Societies

Life Member of :

1. American Society for Microbiology (ASM)-since 2013

2. Society of Biological Chemist (SBC), India- since 2008

3. Association of Microbiologists of India (AMI)- since 2009

4. Life Member of Probiotic Association of India (PAI)-since 2017

5. Indian Society for the Study of Reproduction and Fertility- since 2021

6. Society for Reproductive Biology and Comparative Endocrinology- Since 2021

Expertise of the PI

A note about the PI:

Dr. Ruchi has more than 17 years of research experience in the area of Tuberculosis (TB) especially TB immunology and vaccinology as well as genetic engineering of mycobacteria for functional analysis of virulence genes as well as construction of genetically engineered live attenuated vaccines and DNA vaccines. She specializes in area of host-pathogen interaction. Especially, her work in the area of bacterial and host cyclic dinucleotide (CDN) signaling and development of host-directed therapy against TB using novel strategies targeting the c-di-AMP pathway for last few years led several ground breaking discoveries and published in leading journals- Nature Medicine, Nature Chemical Biology and Journal of Infectious Diseases. She has a track record of multiple well cited publications in the area of TB vaccines. She is an expert in BSL3 and Animal BSL3 set up and establishing in vitro and animal models (mice and guinea pig) for Tuberculosis infection for testing vaccines and for conducting virulence studies. She is trained at various BSL3/Animal BSL3 facilities at Delhi University, JALMA Agra, Johns Hopkins, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard during her doctoral and post-doctoral research (2003-2016)

Awards and Recognitions

Awards and Recognitions

1. Ramalingaswami Re-entry Fellowship (2017-2022)
2. Awarded with Life membership of Indian Society of study of Reproduction and Fertility
3. Global Scholarship Awards
• Keystone Symposia eSymposia meeting eSymposia | Tuberculosis: Science Aimed at Ending the Epidemic International; December 2-4, 2020
• Keystone Symposia’s eSymposia on Integrating Metabolism and Immunity - EK16. International; January 25-28, 2021
• Keystone Symposia’s eSymposia, "The Microbiome: From Mother to Child" ; International; January 18-20, 2021.
• Keystone Symposia’s eSymposia on Synthetic Biology: At the Crossroads of Genetic Engineering and Human Therapeutics - EK41 ; International; May 3 – 4, 2021
• Keystone Symposia’s eSymposia on Innovative Vaccine Approaches, International, June 28-30, 2021

4. Senior Research Fellow (2005-2008): Council of Scientific and Industrial Research [Govt. of India].
5. Travel Grant for participation in International conference (Keystone symposium ‘Immunologic memory and host defense’, Colorado, USA) (2009): International Travel Scheme, Department of Science and Technology, Ministry of Science and Technology, Govt. of India].
6. CSIR/UGC – Junior Research Fellow: National Eligibility Test December 2002, Council of Scientific & Industrial Research, Ministry of Science and Tech., Govt. of India. (2003-2005)
7. Monsanto Student Fellowship for Post Graduate students (2001-2003).
8. Awarded by University of Delhi for outstanding performance in B. Sc Hon. in Biochemistry (1998-2001).

Contact Details

A -115A, Department of Biological Sciences,

BITS, PILANI - HYDERABAD CAMPUS,

JAWAHAR NAGAR, SHAMEERPET MANDAL,

R.R.DIST. HYDERABAD - 500078. (INDIA)

E-mail: ruchij80@hyderabad.bits-pilani.ac.in; ruchij80@gmail.com

Phone: Direct : 040-66303550; Mobile: 7042777262

Department and Institutional Contributions

Over the past 6 years, I have had the privilege of serving the institution in various capacities, contributing to its growth and success. Here are some of my notable institutional contributions:

1. Streamlined ME thesis, RP allotment, QP/AK collection, and teaching duty allocation as the DCA convener (2 years, 2020-2022). Developed mechanisms to ensure timely collection, review, and submission of handouts, promoting uniformity, speed, accuracy, and transparency in academic processes.

2. Engaged as a DCA member for 6 years (2017-2023), actively participating in institutional decision-making and contributing to the development of academic policies and initiatives.

3. Contributed to the faculty screening process as a member of the DLSC and served as an interview panelist, ensuring the selection of highly qualified individuals to join the institution.

4. Currently serving as a member of the Space and Budget committee of the Department of Biological Sciences (from 2023 onwards). Identifying space, infrastructure, and budget requirements, and providing solutions to bridge gaps and address needs promptly.

5. Actively involved in the Institutional Animal Ethics Committee, assessing animal study protocols to protect animal rights and promote efficient study design. Utilized expertise in animal models, biosecurity, and biosafety to enhance ethical practices and knowledge within the institution.

6. Organized and participated in various events such as Synapsis, conferences, international talks, and science outreach talks in colleges, promoting knowledge sharing and fostering academic engagement.

7. Served as a core member of the team of examiners for PhD entrance, interviews, and qualifying exams, ensuring fair and rigorous evaluation of candidates.

8. Fulfilling BITSAT duties, including question paper preparation and moderation, contributing to the smooth conduct of the examination since 2017.

9. As the convener of the Department Welfare Committee in 2021, worked closely with scholars and faculty members to identify infrastructure needs and communicate them to the relevant authorities, facilitating the department's growth.

10. Actively involved as a core team member in designing an ERP-based grant management system, collaborating with the SRCD and accounts departments to streamline processes such as UC/SOE/ZBSA.

11. Led the project and course curriculum design for the Indo-Franco Campus application jointly submitted by BITS campuses, fostering international collaborations and academic partnerships.

12. Engaged as a Scientific Organizing Committee Member for the Society for Biological Chemist Conference to be held in BITS Goa, contributing to the organization and success of the event.

13. Served as a member of the Science Steering Committee of the Department of Biological Sciences, responsible for coordinating multiple teams within the department, other departments within the institute, and external institutions to secure multi-crore national and international grants.

14. Actively involved in networking with postdoctoral researchers and talented candidates at national and international conferences and events, encouraging them to consider applying to BITS Pilani (all campuses) for future faculty positions.

15. Established connections with funding agencies, funders, and institutions in India and abroad, aiming to attract significant national and international grants to support the institution's research and development initiatives.

BITS Pilani

Profile

Education

Work Experience

Research Interest

Present and Past Team

Membership of Societies

Expertise of the PI

Awards and Recognitions

Contact Details

Department and Institutional Contributions

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