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Laboratory of TIME
(Tumour Immune MicroEnvironment)
Our laboratory is a dynamic community of researchers, scientists, and students from diverse academic backgrounds, working together to advance knowledge and drive innovation. We're passionate about making a meaningful impact through our work.
Get to know the talented individuals who make up our lab:
Postdoctoral fellows & Scientists
Dr. Neelam Chauhan
I develop biomaterials for biomedical applications, including a silk-based hydrogel that mimics the ECM and supports islet survival for Type 1 diabetes reversal. This hydrogel offers immune shielding and antioxidant properties to overcome immune rejection and improve glucose regulation. I have also contributed to projects involving siRNA delivery, psoriasis, and tumor explants.
Dr. Monika Yadav
I am engaged in unraveling how cancer cells reconfigure sphingolipid metabolism under therapeutic pressure: by diminishing pro-apoptotic ceramide while elevating sphingosine‑1‑phosphate via enzymes such as SPHK1, acid ceramidase, and GCS. This shift drives chemoresistance, serotonin-protective autophagy, tumor progression and metastasis. My aim is to characterize these lipid alterations and autophagic rewiring, and to explore targeted enzyme interventions to restore drug sensitivity and suppress tumor advancement.
Dr. Sangya Chitranshi
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Lipids play a multifaceted role in cancer development and progression, impacting various aspects of cancer cell behaviour and the tumour microenvironment. Currently I am synthesizing natural and unnatural sphingolipids and ceramides for elucidating their role in immune landscape of tumour microenvironment. Parallelly, I am also synthesizing molecular probes to identify specific cellular target proteins of lipid mediators which we can be further explored for therapeutics in breast and colon cancer.
PhD Students
Dolly Jain
PhD-SRF
M.Sc. Biomedical Sciences, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Centre for Biomedical Research,
My work focuses on how parasympathetic nerves, which release acetylcholine as its primary neurotransmitter, drive tumor progression and suppress anti-tumor immune responses. I am also investigating how acetylcholine regulates the neuro-immune axis within the tumour microenvironment. By studying this complex communication between nerves, cancer cells, and immune cells, I aim to uncover new ways to disrupt these signals. Ultimately, my goal is to develop targeted therapies that block nerve-driven pathways and enhance the effectiveness of cancer treatments.
Varsha Saini
Most fatal microbial infections are caused by Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, and fungal cells. My work is focused on studying the interactions of bile acid-derived antimicrobial amphiphiles against susceptible multidrug-resistant, and persistent bacteria. I am also working on developing innovative therapeutic strategies targeting the fungal infections. As bacterial infections are one of reasons of inflammatory disorders, I am exploring the strategies for targeting the life-threating infection-associated inflammation as well.
Somesh Kumar Jha
As a research scholar, I am investigating strategies to modulate the tumor immune microenvironment using immunogenic cell death (ICD)-inducing drugs in combination with immune adjuvants to trigger robust anti-tumor responses. I have developed a bile acid-based hydrogel for localized co-delivery of these agents across tumor models. Additionally, I am exploring the therapeutic efficacy of phospholipid–bile acid conjugates of chemotherapeutic drugs in a chemically induced mouse model of hepatocellular carcinoma.
Nishant Pandey
Hey!! Tumor tissues can be categorized into cold and hot depending on the infiltration of the immune cells. Sphingolipid pathway is one of the key pathways that is altered in cancer cells, and provide an interesting therapeutic target. I am interested in exploring the impact of pharmacological inhibition of sphingolipid-metabolic pathway on tumor microenvironment. I am also interested in engineering next generation biomaterials that can be used to target the sphingolipid metabolic pathway and alter the tumor microenvironment.
Bharti Aggarwal
Gangliosides are membrane-residing, signal-transducing glycosphingolipids and play a crucial regulatory role in tumor formation and progression. Abnormal Ganglioside expression is found to be associated with different malignancies. I am interested to understand the impact of chemotherapy on ganglioside palterations, and how pharmacological modulations in sphingolipid and ganglioside metabolic pathways can be explored for effective treatment strategies.
Rohit Yadav
My research mainly focuses on cancer immunology, especially how tumors resist therapy and interact with the immune system. I'm currently studying how sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) signaling drives macrophages to become M2 type, which supports an anti-inflammatory and tumor-friendly environment. More broadly, my PhD work looks at immune cell behavior and key signaling pathways in colon cancer. I’m really interested in how we can use this knowledge to find better ways to treat cancer.
Junaid Alam
My research explores how neuronal signals affect colorectal cancer progression. I focus on how neurotransmitters interacts with different receptors on cancer cells, influencing tumor growth and behavior. In parallel, I am investigating how colorectal cancer cells communicate with key immune cells, including macrophages and T cells, to shape the tumor microenvironment. Together, these studies aim to uncover novel neuro-immune interactions and signaling pathways that could be targeted for future cancer therapies.
Rashmita Dutta
My research interests lie at the intersection of immunology, microbiology, molecular biology and cell biology. The discovery that tumor is composed of a heterogeneous population of different types of cells has totally changed our perspective towards cancer. New pathways and molecules in the TME, like Neurons, immune cells and microbes are coming to light, which can be a potential therapeutic target. Exploring the cellular, molecular and microbial mechanisms in the TME will allow me to contribute to advancing our understanding of immune homeostasis and disease pathogenesis in cancer.
Project Fellows
Nikhil Kumar Chourasiya
Project-JRF
Hello! Ceramides are molecules that form an integral part of the cellular membranes and are further derivatized to form the sphingolipids. These molecules also play a key role in signaling and dictate the metabolic fate of the cells. Here, at Bajaj lab I am trying to synthesize the ceramides and other sphingolipids via altering their chemistry (stereochemistry, chain length) and further explore their role in cancer.
Vishal Patil
Project-JRF
Research focuses on unveiling the cellular and molecular mechanisms of different cancers.
Cheena Dhingra
Project-Associate
My research investigates how altered sphingolipid metabolism regulates immune checkpoint expression in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). By silencing key metabolic enzymes, I explore whether disrupting these pathways can modulate immune evasion mechanisms. This work aims to uncover novel therapeutic strategies to enhance anti-tumor immunity in TNBC
Anna Swetha George
Project-Associate
My research interest lies in the development of advanced biomaterial-based strategies for the long-term immune-shielding and functional preservation of pancreatic islets, specifically for the treatment of Type-1 diabetes. This involves engineering extracellular matrix (ECM)-mimicking layered constructs, such as injectable hydrogels, to overcome current limitations in islet transplantation.
Debesh K. Kandwal
Project-Associate
My research focuses on bile acid-derived antimicrobial adjuvants to resensitize multidrug-resistant pathogens to existing drugs. I also explore novel therapies for invasive fungal infections and strategies to reduce infection-induced inflammation, aiming for comprehensive solutions to antimicrobial resistance.
Vandana Dhangar
Project-Technical Assistant
Ritika Bhargava
Project-Assistant
Integrated MS-PhD
Redhanya S
B.Tech (Biotechnology), TNAU
I am deeply interested in the fields of immunology, disease biology, and cancer biology. My dissertation project is centered on the development of humanised mouse models, which are essential for unraveling the molecular and cellular mechanisms of specific diseases and for advancing the development of innovative therapeutic strategies.
Visiting Fellows
Nafees Ansari
ICMR SRF
I am interested in understanding the molecular mechanisms involved in breast cancer. I am trying to understand how sphingolipid and its downstream gangliosides regulate breast cancer phenotype through various cell signaling pathways.
Trishna Pani
ICMR SRF
I am interested in deciphering the transcriptional and post-transcriptional alterations in sphingolipid genes during tumor progression. As sphingolipids play a vital role in modulating tumor microenvironment, I am focused on understanding the molecular mechanisms in sphingolipid and ganglioside metabolic pathways that are responsible for tumor heterogeneity among different breast cancer subtypes, and their role in tumor progression.
Ali Khan
PhD SRF
I work on identifying and validating alterations in lipids, like sphingolipids, phospholipids, eicosanoids and gangliosides as diagnostic and therapeutic targets for liver diseases like NASH, NAFL, Cirrhosis, HCC, and different types of Cancers. I aim to identify and validate the lipid-based signatures from patient samples to use them as potential diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers.
Trainees
Supporting staff
Anjali Yadav
I am working as an apprentice, contributing to the project “Decoding the Antifungal Potential of a Lithocholic Acid-derived Amphiphile Targeting Sphingolipid Metabolism in Candida albicans”, while learning various molecular biology techniques.
Umesh Phagna
