Research Area :
- Stress induced type 2 diabetes: The roles of transcriptional co-activator binding protein PIMT and energy sensor AMPK
Education & Training :
- 1988-1995: Ph.D. Molecular Biology, Indian Institute of Chemical Biology
Professional Experience :
- 1995-1996: Post-doctoral fellow, Institute of Microbial Technology, Chandigarh, India.
- 1996 to 2008: Scientist- Senior Director, Preclinical Biology and Genomics-Proteomics, Discovery Biology, Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories Ltd, Hyderabad.
- 2000-2002: Visiting Scientist, Northwestern University, Chicago, USA.
- 2008 – 2009: Head, Metabolic Disorders, Wockhardt Research Center, Aurangabad, India
- 2009-2012: Head, Biology, Institute of Life Sciences.
- 2012 onwards: Professor of Biology, Dr. Reddy’s Institute of Life Sciences.
Research Interests :
- Our group works on metabolic disorders. Transcriptional coactivators play a crucial role in regulating gene expression. PRIP Interacting protein with Methyl Transferase domain (PIMT)/ Trimethyl guanosine synthase 1 (TGS1) is a co-activator interacting protein with an RNA methyl transferase domain. PIMT serves as a bridge between HAT and non-HAT coactivators and differentially modulates gene expression. Disruption of PIMT is embryonic lethal. PIMT regulates hepatic gluconeogenesis and TNF-α induced insulin resistance in the skeletal muscle. As a methyl transferase, PIMT controls HIV-1 post transcriptional regulation and is essential for human telomerase RNA biogenesis. To provide a comprehensive understanding of the dual role of PIMT, which promises to be a potential target in the treatment of several metabolic disorders, our group is working to understand its function in other important metabolic tissues like pancreas, adipose and macrophages using different knock down animal models and normal and diseased human tissues.
Link to Google Scholar page