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PhD, ERT, Associate Professor (Docent)

My research focuses on assessing the risk of inhalable toxicants and understanding the molecular mechanisms of chronic lung diseases.

I have received my bachelors (1998) and master’s degrees (2000) from the University of Calcutta, India followed by post graduate diploma in management of information technology (PGDMIT) from the Asia Pacific Institute of Management, New Delhi (2002).

I completed my PhD degree (2005) in the field of developmental genetics from the Technical University of Munich, Germany. My postdoctoral research (2005 - 2010) was at the Helmholtz Zentrum Munich, Institute of Lung Biology and Disease, Comprehensive Pneumology Center, Germany.

Since 2016, I am working at the Unit of Integrative Toxicology, Institute of Environmental Medicine (IMM), ̽����ѡ.

2020: Docent in Environmental Medicine.

2019: European Registered Toxicologist (ERT).

2005: PhD, Technical University of Munich, Germany.

Our research focuses on the non-tobacco causes of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the 3rd leading cause of death world-wide. This includes hindered lung development leading to sub-optimal lung function development, household air pollution, outdoor air pollution, exposure to nano-particles, micro- and nano- plastics.

Another wing of our research address the risks involved with new and emerging tobacco products such as electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco products. Our research objectives are attained through in vivo, in vitro, and in silico models as well as human cohort-based studies.

Current research projects:

Biomass smoke induced adverse lung health outcome among women and children:

Biomass smoke exposure is considered as a global risk factor for COPD in the same order of magnitude as tobacco smoking. The use of biomass fuel is closely linked to gender inequality. Women and young girls, are exposed for the longest duration because they spend more time in proximity to the biomass smoke while cooking (4-6h/day). Children get also exposed since birth as they stay with their mothers while cooking. In this project, we aim to investigate the adverse respiratory health outcome among children and women due to biomass smoke exposure in collaboration with the Mysuru study on Determinants of Health in Rural Adults (MUDHRA) in Karnataka, India. We have now a well characterized cohort of 1400 subjects whom we are following up longitudinally.

To understand the molecular toxicity of wood smoke, we perform in vitro exposure studies using normal and chronic bronchitis-like bronchial
mucosa models as well as alveolar model developed at air-liquid interface. Chemical composition of biomass smoke is also characterized.

Exponential increase in the popularity of electronic cigarette (ECIG) and heated tobacco products (HTP) particularly among adolescents and youth is a cause for concern with limited knowledge about their effect due to long term use. We aim to develop a basis for pulmonary risk assessment of ECIG and HTP by assessing molecular toxicological analysis of different flavors of ECIG-liquid (with and without nicotine) and HTP following /in
vitro exposure experiments. This is achieved by using our established physiologically relevant multicellular bronchial- and alveolar mucosa models
developed at air-liquid-interface along with chemical characterization of the corressponding emissions. We further aim to assess the pulmonary and
systemic effect of ECIG use in young Swedish population through a clinical study comparing ECIG users and non-users.

Tiny Plastics, Big Risks: Micro- and Nanoplastic (MNPs) Mediated Inhalation Toxicity.

Inhalation is a critical yet understudied exposure route for micro- and nano-plastics (MNPs). Our goal for this newly initiated project is to understand how inhaling MNPs affect human lungs and potentially leads to respiratory diseases. Multi-omics data and standard toxicological endpoints are integrated to identify the adverse outcome pathways (AOPs) using 

Genomics of lung function development to identify susceptibility factors for chronic lung diseases:

Only 15 - 20% of smokers develop COPD thereby strongly indicating the genetic predisposition of this disease. Moreover, more than 40% of the causes of COPD is attributed to causes other than smoking. Failure to attain peak lung function (eg. total lung capacity) by early adulthood is considered as a risk for later onset of COPD. This is plausibly related to the fact that lung developmental events are recollected in genetic sub-routines during repair and remodeling processes. In this project we aim to study the genomics of lung function development using mouse models, and elucidate the mechanism through in vitro studies and associate the findings in human cohorts.

Computational modeling of diseased lung:

In silico models are widely used to understand the deposition, distribution, and clearance of inhaled particles and aerosols in the human
lung. Epidemiological evidence associated exacerbations of COPD to increased particulate matter related air pollution episodes. Most of the freely
available computational modeling tools however were developed for the healthy adult lung. Diseased lung, such as those in case of COPD undergo profound functional, anatomical and structural changes. Therefore, the particle deposition, distribution and clearance in case of COPD lung will be different than that of the healthy lung. In this project we aim to incorporate the various structural and functional alterations of a COPD lung for modeling particle deposition that may explain the increased susceptibility.

Research Support:

* Swedish Heart Lung Foundation
* Swedish Research Council (VR)
* STINT- The Swedish Foundation for International Cooperation in Research and Higher Education,
* Forska Utan DjurFörsök/ Do Research without animal
* VINNOVA, Sweden’s Innovation Agency
* IMM Strategic Grant

*The Scheme for Promotion of Academic and Research Collaboration (SPARC)-India

Publications:

Pubmed:

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Google Scholar:

* Internationalisation of Toxicology Education (STINT and SPARC) with an overarching goal of attaining sustainable educational practices.
* Tutor and module manager for the “Target organ Toxicology: Lung” in the Master’s programme in Toxicology at KI.
* Tutor: Problem Based Learning (PBL) for lung as target organ.
* Activity based teaching interest: Respiratory health impact of climate change, sustainabilty.
* Master thesis supervision (6).
* PhD advisor (primary: 2).
* Post doctoral fellow mentor (2).
* Home institute mentor of international fellows (European Respiratory Society fellows, Fulbright scholars, Erasmus Mundus fellows).