KURUOM - Research Advisory Board

Dr. Sapna R. Shah

Dr. Sapna R. Shah is currently working as the Director of Research and Development at Jawaharlal Nehru University. She has published many research papers in highly regarded international journals. Dr. Shah has made significant contributions in the field of computational biology and received the International Icon Award in 2021 for appreciable work in the field of research and education. She is also a member of the editorial board for the Indian Journal of Advanced Mathematics (IJAM).

Field of research: Applied Mathematics, Biomechanics, Biomathematics, Applied Biology, Fluid Dynamics, Applications of Ordinary and Partial Equations.

Dr. Sudhir Kumar Sopory

Dr. Sudhir Kumar Sopory works in the field of Molecular Plant Physiology and is the president of the Indian Society of Plant Physiology. Dr. Sopory was a former vice chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru University, one of the topmost universities in India. He is credited with the identification of topoisomerase I as a substrate of Protein Kinase C. In recognition to his outstanding contributions in scientific research and teaching, he has been awarded various national and international awards including Padma Bhushan, India’s fourth highest civilian award.

Field of research: Molecular Plant Physiology, Plant Biotechnology, dehydration stress and salinity-related gene regulation, developing stress-tolerant plants: role of small GTP binding proteins (RAB and RAN).

Dr. Valeri Barsegov

Dr. Valeri Barsegov specializes in Biomolecular Modeling and Computational Biology. He earned a PhD in Chemical Physics at the University of Texas at Austin. Dr. Barsegov has published more than 60 papers and book chapters in numerous international journals. He utilizes molecular modeling, GPU computing and machine learning to advance the field of computational drug discovery. As a very well-known scientist in the field of molecular modeling and computational biology, one of his accomplishments includes developing an internationally recognized research program to address fundamental structure-function questions for a variety of complex biological systems.

Field of research: Biomechanics of Hemostasis and Thrombosis, Physical Virology, High-Performance Computing, Stochastic Reaction-Diffusion-Dynamics Model (SRDDM).

Dr. Vijai Krishna Das

Dr. Vijai Krishna Das has 37 years of teaching experience for undergraduate and postgraduate students in the Department of Zoology at Kamala Nehru Institute of Physical & Social Sciences, Sultanpur, India. After receiving his PhD from Gorakhpur University, Dr. Das continued working on endocrine control of calcium regulation in vertebrate groups and published findings in international journals of high repute. During his postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth he investigated the changes induced in quahogs due to effect of Botulinum neurotoxin.

Field of research: Fish & Fisheries, Endocrinology, Toxicology, Endocrine regulation of calcium in vertebrates, Zoology.

Dr. Gurmeet Singh

Dr. Gurmeet Singh is an internationally reputed expert in the field of Corrosion Science & Smart Materials. He has been among the most cited of the scientists in his field with about 150 research papers in high-impact international journals. Dr. Singh co-authored a book titled Impacts of Urbanization on Hydrological Systems in India. Along with his vast research, he supervised nine major R&D projects. Also, he was the former Vice-Chancellor of Pondicherry University, India.

Field of research: Corrosion Science and Smart Materials, Nanofilm Deposition.

Dr. Martha Hale

Dr. Martha Hale received a PhD in Microbiology and Immunology at Virginia Commonwealth University and is a well-known scientist. She has developed many biological assays for detection of biothreat agents. Dr. Hale works as a principal investigator at the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID). During her research, she established several different animal models for assessing radiation effects upon the immune-hematopoietic system.

Field of research: Understanding how various agents affect the mucosal system and the lung, developing near infrared technology for in-vivo monitoring of pathogenesis, role of critical elements in Botulinum neurotoxin complex in toxin routing across intestinal and bronchial barriers.

Dr. John Bogdan, Jr.

Dr. Bogdan previously worked at NIAID, managing programs for anthrax and botulinum toxin inhibitors. His experience includes roles at DuPont-Merck, Wyeth-Lederle, and Baxter Healthcare. He currently leads Valaria Technical Consultants, LLC, as the President, holds a Vice President position at Cygnos Biotech, and serves as Principal Government Procurement Advisor at CorVent Medical. He holds a bachelor’s from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and advanced degrees in Microbiology and Immunology from the University at Buffalo.

Field of research: Bacterial Toxin Production and Pediatric Vaccine Development