Chandrima Shaha

Chandrima Shaha (born 14 October 1952) [1] is an Indian biologist,[2][3] currently President of Indian National Science Academy (2020–22),[4] and Professor of Eminence at the National Institute of Immunology.[5] She is the former Director of the Institute. She was the Vice President (International) of the Indian National Science Academy (2016–2018)[6] She is an elected fellow of the World Academy of Sciences,[7] Indian National Science Academy,[8] Indian Academy of Sciences,[9] National Academy of Sciences [10] and the West Bengal Academy of Science and Technology.

FASc, FNASc

Chandrima Shaha
Born14 October 1952 (1952-10-14) (age 68)
Kolkata, West Bengal, India
NationalityIndian
CitizenshipIndian
Education
University of Kansas Medical Centre (1980–1982)
Population Council, New York City (1983–1984)
Alma materUniversity of Calcutta
Known forMechanisms of cellular defense from oxidative stress and modalities of cell death in a multicellular model of mammalian germ cells and a unicellular model of a protozoan parasite.
Awards
  • Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Medal, INSA, 2019
  • Sunday Standard Devi Award for Excellence in the field of science, 2015
  • Shakuntala Amirchand Award of Indian Council of Medical Research, New Delhi, 1992

Elected Fellow

Scientific career
FieldsBiology
Institutions
ThesisAntifertility and related studies on the extractives of aristolochia indica LINN (1979)
Doctoral advisorDr A Pakrashi
Websitewebsite

Educational life

Shaha graduated from the University of Calcutta and completed her doctoral research in 1980 from the Indian Institute of Chemical Biology and holds a Ph.D from the University of Calcutta. For her post doctoral work, she was at the University of Kansas Medical Centre from 1980–1982 and then from 1983–1984 at the Population Council, New York City. She joined the National Institute of Immunology at New Delhi in 1984 as a scientist.

Professional life

Shaha has served as Council Member for the National Academy of Sciences, Allahabad (2016–2017), Indian Academy of Sciences, Bangalore (2013–2015) [1] and also as Council member of the Indian National Science Academy, New Delhi (2015–18). She was a member of the Editorial Board of ‘Scientific Reports’ of Nature Publishing Group, London:‘Spermatogenesis’, Landes Bioscience, Texas and Editorial Board member of ‘Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology’ of Elsevier, PA, Austin. During her career, she was a member of the Steering Committee for the Task Force on Regulation of Male Fertility of the World Health Organization, Geneva (1990–1992), Switzerland and International Consortium on Male Contraception, New York (1993–1997). She was the Chair of the DBT Task Force on Biotechnology Based Programme for Women (2012–2014), member of Task Force on Human Genetics and Genome Analysis, Task Force on Basic Research in Modern Biology (2015–2017), Department of Biotechnology. She was Member of the Scientific Advisory Board, Indian Council of Medical Research (2013–2016). She is currently the Governing Council member of IIT Gandhinagar [11] and a member of 2018 [12] leadership conclave. She is currently serving as the Member of the Governing Council- ICMR : Executive Council – University of Hyderabad : Governing Council – InStem, Bangalore : Scientific Advisory Group – ICMR : Scientific Advisory Committee – National Institute of Animal Biotechnology : Scientific Advisory Committee – Rajiv Gandhi Center for Biotechnology, Trivandrum. She served on the Scientific Advisory Committee, Life Science Research Board, DRDO (2012–2016).

Research interests

Shaha's research programme is geared towards the understanding of cell death pathways and cellular defense processes in unicellular and multicellular organisms that have important bearing on designing of therapies for various diseases. Kala-azar, a neglected tropical disease remains a huge problem being endemic in certain parts of the country and is caused by the Leishmania parasite. Understanding of how parasite death occurs is important as successful killing of the parasite would reduce disease burden. The research demonstrated the ability of the Leishmania parasite to execute death phenotypes similar to metazoans and experimental evidence demonstrated the involvement of the single mitochondrion in apoptosis like death in one of the earliest eukaryotes. Host-parasite interaction studies show the involvement of Bcl-2 proteins in parasite survival. Other studies with cells having high division index like cancer cells and mammalian germ cells provides insight into the various pathways that are triggered by stress and their functional relevance in cell survival.

Awards and honors
  • D.P. Burma Memorial Lecture Award - 2019 [13]
  • Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Medal, INSA, 2019
  • Sectional President, Biological Sciences, National Academy of Sciences, 2017
  • Elected Council Member, National Academy of Sciences, Allahabad, 2016
  • Elected, Vice-President of the Indian National Science Academy, 2016 [14]
  • Sunday Standard Devi Award for Excellence in the field of science, 2015
  • Om Prakash Bhasin Award, 2015
  • Elected Fellow, The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS), Trieste, Italy, 2014
  • 14th Pushpa Sriramachari Foundation Day Oration Award, ICMR, 2014
  • Prof. (Mrs.) Archana Sharma Memorial Award, National Academy of Sciences, 2013
  • Chandrakala Hora Memorial Medal, Indian National Science Academy, 2013 [15]
  • Elected, Fellow of West Bengal Academy of Science and Technology, 2011
  • Ranbaxy Science Foundation Award for Basic Medical Research 2010 [16]
  • Dr. Darshan Ranganathan Memorial Award, Indian National Science Academy, 2010 [15]
  • J.C. Bose National Fellowship, Dept. of Science and Technology, 2009
  • Elected Fellow, Indian National Science Academy, Delhi, 2008
  • Elected Fellow, Indian Academy of Sciences, Bangalore, 2004
  • Department of Biotechnology 'Special Award' on the occasion of DNA discovery, 2003
  • Elected Fellow, The National Academy of Sciences, Allahabad, India 1999
  • Shakuntala Amirchand Award of Indian Council of Medical Research, New Delhi, 1992

Selected publications

Papers
  • Giri, S and Shaha, C* Leishmania donovani parasite requires Atg8 protein for infectivity and survival under stress, Cell Death Dis. 10(11):808. doi: 10.1038/s41419-019-2038-7 (2019)..
  • Pitale DM, Neelaram GS, Descoteaux A and Shaha, C*. Leishmania donovani induces autophagy in human blood-derived neutrophils. Journal of Immunol. 202:1163–1175 (2019).
  • Das S and Shaha C* Cellular Defence of the Leishmania Parasite. Molecular Biology of the Kinetoplastid parasites.(Ed. H.K. Majumder. Caister Academic Press, UK) DOI: DOI Name 10.21775 Values /9781910190715.04 pp 67–80. (2018)
  • Kumar, A, Giri, S and Shaha, C*. Sestrin2 facilitates glutamine dependent transcription of PGC1-α and survival of liver cancer cells under glucose limitation. FEBS J.285: 1326–1345. DOI: 10.1111 /febs.14406 (2018)..
  • Kumar, A and Shaha, C*. RBX1 mediated ubiquitination of SESN2 promotes cell death upon prolonged mitochondrial damage in SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells. Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry DOI: 10.1007/s11010-017-3267-7(2018).
  • Kumar, A and Shaha, C*. SESN2 facilitates mitophagy by helping Parkin translocation through ULK1 mediated Beclin1 phosphorylation. Scientific reports DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-19102-2 (2018).
  • Chang KP, Kohli BK and collaborators (Shaha C, Saha G Roy S and Mukhopadhyay A)( Overview of Leishmaniasis with special emphasis on Kala Azar in South Asia. Neglected Tropical diseases. doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-68493-2_1 (2017).
  • Das, S., Giri, S, Sundar S and Shaha, C*, Leishmania donovani Tryparedoxin Peroxidases:functional involvement during infection and drug treatment. Antimicrob. Agents. Chem. Antimicrob. Agents. Chem. doi:10.1128/AAC.00806-7(2017).
  • Saini, S, Bharti, K., Shaha, C., Mukhopadhay C. Zinc depletion promotes apoptosis-like death in drug-sensitive and antimony resistant Leishmania donovani. Scientific Reports. 7: 10488 | DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-10041-6 2 (2017)
  • Pandey RK, Mehrotra S, Sharma S, Gudde RS, Sundar S, Shaha C*. Leishmania donovani-Induced Increase in Macrophage Bcl-2 Favors Parasite Survival. Front Immunol. 7:456. (2016).
  • Singh AK, Pandey RK, Shaha C and Madhubala R. MicroRNA expression profiling of Leishmaniadonovani infected host cells uncovers the regulatory role of MIR-30A-30 in host autophagy. Autophagy. 12: 1817– 1831(2016).
  • R. Mathur, R.P. Das, A. Ranjan, C. Shaha* Elevated ergosterol protects Leishmania parasites against antimony-generated stress FASEB J 29:4201-13 (2015).
  • S. Das, A. Aich and C. Shaha*. The Complex World of Leishmania defense. Proceedings of the Indian National Science Academy, 81, 629–642, (2015).
  • D. Ash, M. Subramanian, A. Surolia and C. Shaha*. Nitric oxide is the key mediator of death induced by fisetin in human acute monocytic leukemia cells. Am. J. Cancer Res. 5 (2), 481–497 (2015).
  • R. Mathur and C. Shaha*, Cell death in a kinetoplastid parasite, the Leishmania spp. In Leishmania: Genomics, Molecular Biology and Control. Ed: S. Adak. Horizon Scientific Press, UK. pp 79–92 (2014).
  • R.Tripathi, D. Ash and C. Shaha*, Beclin-1 p53 interaction is crucial for cell fate determination in embryonal carcinoma cells. J. Cell. Mol. Med. 18: 2275–2286 (2014).
  • A. Aich and C. Shaha*, Novel role of calmodulin in regulating protein transport to mitochondria in a unicellular eukaryote. Mol. Cell Biol. 33:22 4579–4593 (2013).
  • S. Verma, A. Mehta and C. Shaha.* CYP5122A1, a novel cytochrome P450 is essential for survival of Leishmania donovani. PLOS One 6:e25273 (2011).
  • R. Tripathi, T. Samadder, S. Gupta, A. Surolia and C. Shaha*, Anti-cancer activity of a combination of cisplatin and fisetin in embryonal carcinoma cells and xenograft tumors. Mol. Cancer. Ther. 10:255–268 (2011).
  • R. Jain, A. Ghoshal, C. Mandal and C. Shaha C*. Leishmania cell surface prohibitin: role in host-parasite interaction. Cell. Microbiol. 12:432–452 (2010).
  • M. Subramanian and C. Shaha* Oestrogen modulates human macrophage apoptosis via differential signaling through oestrogen receptor alpha and beta. J Cell Mol Med.13:2317-29 (2009).
  • C.Shaha* Estrogens and Spermatogenesis. Adv. Exp. Med. Biol. 636:42–64 (2009).
  • R. Tripathi, D.P. Mishra and C. Shaha*. Male germ cell development: turning on the apoptotic pathways, J. Rep. Immunol. 83:31–35 (2009).
  • J. Iyer, A. Kaprakkaden, M. Chaudhary and C.Shaha*, Crucial role of cytosolic tryparedoxin peroxidase in Leishmania donovani survival, drug response and virulence. Mol. Microbiol. 68: 372–391 (2008).
  • M. Subramanian and C. Shaha* Up-Regulation of Bcl-2 through ERK Phosphorylation Is Associated with Human Macrophage Survival in an Estrogen Microenvironment. J. Immunol. 179:2330–2338 (2007).
  • A. Mehta and C. Shaha*. Mechanism of metalloid induced death in Leishmania spp.: role of iron, reactive oxygen species, Ca2+ and glutathione. Free Rad. Biol. Med. 15:1857–68 (2006).
  • D. P. Mishra, Rajarshi Pal, and C. Shaha*. Changes in cytosolic Ca2+ levels regulate Bcl-xS and Bcl-xL expression in spermatogenic cells during apoptotic death. J. Biol. Chem, 281: 2133 – 2143 (2006).
  • D.P. Mishra and C.Shaha* Estrogen induced spermatogenic cell apoptosis occur via the mitochondrial pathway: role of superoxide and nitric oxide. J. Biol. Chem, 280: 6181 – 6196 (2005).
  • A. Mehta and C. Shaha*. Apoptotic death in Leishmania donovani promastigotes in response to respiratory chain inhibition: complex II inhibition results in increased pentamidine cytotoxicity. J. Biol. Chem., 279: 11798 – 11813 (2004).
  • G. Sudhandiran and C. Shaha*. Antimonial induced increase in intracellular Ca2+ through non-selective cation channels in the host and the parasite is responsible for apoptosis of intracellular Leishmania donovani amastigotes. J. Biol. Chem. 278:25120-25132. (2003).
  • T. Hemachand and C. Shaha*. Functional role of glutathione S-transferases and extracellular glutathione in the haploid spermatozoa under oxidative stress. FEBS Letters 538, I4-18 (2003).
  • R. Nair and C. Shaha*. Diethylstilbestrol induces rat spermatogenic cell apoptosis in vivo through increased expression spermatogenic cell Fas/FasL system. J. Biol. Chem. 278:6470–6481 (2003).
  • A.V.S. Kondala Rao and C. Shaha*. N-acetylcysteine prevents MAA induced male germ cell apoptosis: role of glutathione and cytochrome c. FEBS lett. 527: 133–137 (2002).
  • S.B.Mukherjee, M. Das, G. Sudhandiran and C. Shaha*. Increase in cytosolic Ca2+ levels through the activation of non-selective cation channels induced by oxidative stress causes mitochondrial depolarization leading to apoptosis-like death in Leishmania donovani promastigotes. J. Biol. Chem. 277:24717-27 (2002).
  • T. Hemachand, B. Gopalakrishnan, D.M. Salunke, S.M. Totey and C. Shaha*. Sperm plasma membrane associated glutathione S- transferases as gamete recognition molecules. J. Cell Science. 115: 2053– 2065 (2002).
  • A.V.S. Kondala Rao and C. Shaha*. Multiple glutathione S-transferase isoforms are present on male germ cell plasma membrane. FEBS Lett. 507:174–180 (2001).
  • Manika Das, Sikha Bettina Mukherjee and C. Shaha*. Hydrogen peroxide induces apoptosis-like death in Leishmania donovani promastigotes. J. Cell. Science, 114: 2461–9 (2001).
  • Rao A.V.S. and C. Shaha*. Role of glutathione S-transferases in oxidative stress- induced male germ cell apoptosis. Free Radic. Biol. Med. 29 : 1015 – 1027 (2000).
  • S. B. Mukherjee, S. Aravinda, B. Gopalakrishnan, S. Nagpal, D.M. Salunke and C. Shaha*. Secretion of glutathione S-transferase (GST) isoforms in the seminiferous tubular fluid, tissue distribution and sex steroid binding by rGSTM1. Biochem. J. 340: 309–320 (1999).
  • B. Gopalakrishnan and C. Shaha*. Inhibition of sperm glutathione S-transferase leads to functional impairment due to membrane damage. FEBS Lett. 422: 296 – 300 (1998).
  • B. Gopalakrishnan, S. Aravinda, C.H. Pawshe, S.M.Totey, S. Nagpal, D.M. Salunke and C. Shaha*. Studies on glutathione S-transferases important for sperm function: Evidence for catalytic activity independent functions. Biochem J. 329: 231 – 241 (1998).
  • S.Aravinda, B.Gopalakrishnan, C.S.Dey, S.M.Totey, C.M.Pawshce, D.M. Salunke, K.Kaur and C. Shaha*. A testicular protein important for fertility has glutathione S-transferase activity and is localized extracellularly in the seminiferous tubules. J. Biol. Chem. 270:15675-15685 (1995).

Book
  • Captured Moments: A Life of Shambhu Shaha by Chandrima Shaha, Seagull Publishers, Calcutta (2000).

References
  1. "Fellowship | Indian Academy of Sciences". www.ias.ac.in.
  2. "NROER – File – Prof. Chandrima Shaha". nroer.gov.in.
  3. "Eureka with Chandrima Shaha" – via www.youtube.com.
  4. "INSA :: Indian National Commission for History of Science". www.insaindia.res.in. Retrieved 2020-03-12.
  5. "Chandrima Shaha | NII". www.nii.res.in.
  6. "INSA :: Recent Past Vice-presidents". www.insaindia.res.in.
  7. https://twas.org/directory/shaha-chandrima, https://twas.org/article/forty-six-new-twas-fellows
  8. "INSA :: Indian Fellows". insaindia.res.in.
  9. "Fellowship | Indian Academy of Sciences". www.ias.ac.in.
  10. "The National Academy of Sciences, India – Fellows". www.nasi.org.in.
  11. "Board of Governors | IIT Gandhinagar". www.iitgn.ac.in.
  12. "Eighth Leadership Conclave | IIT Gandhinagar". www.iitgn.ac.in.
  13. "D. P. BURMA MEMORIAL LECTURE AWARD". Society of Biological Chemists India. Retrieved 2020-03-17.
  14. "INSA :: Present Council". Insaindia.res.in. Retrieved 2019-09-03.
  15. "INSA :: Awards Recipients". insaindia.res.in.
  16. "Pharma commercial intelligence, news & analysis | Evaluate". www.evaluate.com.
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