Biochemical Immunology of Diabetes and Associated Complications

Currently Dr. Pratima is serving as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biotechnology at National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Raebareli. Pratima earned her Ph.D. in Biochemistry from University of Lucknow, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh in 2012. Her doctoral research oriented on ‘Therapeutic Role of L-arginine on free radical scavenging system in ischemic heart diseases.’ During her research, she investigated the vivid role of L-arginine as a significant therapeutic in mitigating the oxidant-antioxidant imbalance that arises during oxidative stress condition and oxygen insult that contributes in the pathogenesis of myocardial infarction induced ischemia and further complications. She contributed her research outputs as publications in high impact journals of repute. The scholar has also been bestowed with ‘Young Scientist Award’ in 2010 from the Society for Immunology and Immunopathology, India.

She had a stint teaching experience in Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning (SSSIHL), Anantapur as an Assistant Professor from 2012 to 2017. After gaining a rich experience in Southern India, she relocated to her home town, Lucknow and served as Guest faculty at Integral University, Lucknow till May 2019.

The dynamic phase of her academic career and her zeal towards scientific research granted her a good opportunity as ICMR-Research associateship and Principal Investigator on the project “The role of highly sensitive Troponin-I, highly sensitive C Reactive Protein and NT-proBNP in predicting coronary artery stenosis in patients undergoing Coronary Artery Angiography.”

The ICMR research project was focused on biomarker profiling and analysis of different cardiac and inflammatory biomarkers in coronary artery disease patients to investigate the correlation between the extent of vascular stenosis and level of biomarkers. Research outcome from the work conducted by Pratima as Postdoctoral fellow at Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow from 2019 to 2021 was utilized for setting up hs-TnI as a profiling marker at DRMLIMS in 2021 as is currently a part of routine blood test for all the CVD patients at DRMLIMS and associated clinical setups.

In 2021, she joined National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Raebareli as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biotechnology. The institute offered her acumen a good scope in both academic cum administrative aspects with a magnified research spectrum. Her research team works in the area of pharmaceutical biotechnology and is focused on drug discovery and development. The team formulated nanocarriers and drug conjugates for efficient transport of drugs; artemisinin and berginin and studied the impact of these formulations in mitigating diabetes induced inflammatory complications.