Dr. Aakanksha Kalra

Dr. Aakanksha Kalra has been an Assistant Professor at our institute since 2017. Dr. Kalra holds a Ph.D from the International Centre for Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology in New Delhi and an M.Sc. from Jawaharlal Nehru University, also in New Delhi.

Dr. Kalra is actively involved in academics, research, training, and student guidance. She teaches a wide range of courses, including Molecular Biology, Recombinant DNA Technology, Genetic Engineering, Genomics & Proteomics, and Nanotechnology. Additionally, she has taken on several administrative responsibilities as the Higher Education Cell Coordinator and Research & Development Department Coordinator.

In terms of research, Dr. Kalra has 11.5 years of experience and has focused her work on the status of ESKAPE pathogens in India. Her research has centered on understanding the existence, correlation, treatment, and diagnosis of these pathogens in the Indian subcontinent. She has also been working on the role of PLGA nanoparticles as a drug delivery system for the treatment of COPD, which was a 3-year project funded by DST, Rajasthan. During her initial 3 years at our institute, she also focused on the status of fungal infections caused by Candida species in Rajasthan, characterizing the isolates present in the area and their emerging resistance.

Dr. Kalra has received several accolades for her work, including the Women Scientist Award from the Department of Science & Technology, Rajasthan on account of International Women's Day in 2022, and Excellence Awards from Dr. B. Lal Institute of Biotechnology in the years 2020 and 2022. She has also been the recipient of the National Eligibility Test - Senior Research Fellowship (NET-SRF) by the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research in 2013, the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) by MHRD, Govt. of India (AIR 0225), and the National Eligibility Test - Junior Research Fellowship (NET-JRF) by the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research in 2010 (AIR 0018).

Dr. Kalra brings 5.5 years of teaching and 11.5 years of research experience to our institute, and we are fortunate to have her as a valued member of our faculty.