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Usha Rajamma

Mahatma Gandhi University, Manovikas Kendra Rehabilitation and Research Institute, CSIR - Indian Institute of Chemical Biology

ORCID iD 0000-0002-0392-9507
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About

I, Dr. Usha Rajamma, am a Senior Scientist at the Centre for Development & Aging Research at Inter University Centre for Biomedical Research & Super Speciality Hospital (IUCBR&SSH), Kottayam, Kerala, India. I graduated with (Ph. D. in Science) from Jadavpur University for the work done on Protein Chemistry at the Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, an Institute under the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Govt. of India. During my postdoctoral tenure at CSIR_IICB, I worked on the structure-function relationship of proteins and gained expertise in recombinant DNA technologies like molecular cloning, site-directed mutagenesis, and protein over-expression. With this basic science expertise in Molecular Biology, I shifted my research interests to Neurobiology and got professional training during my postdoctoral period at CSIR-IICB. After that, I was awarded the Fast-track Proposal for young scientist grant by the Department of Science and Technology (DST, Govt. of India) in 2003 for the proposal to study the neurodegenerative mechanisms in an animal model of Huntington's disease (HD). We standardized and characterized the 3-nitropropionic acid model of HD, which replicated HD's behavioral, motor, and neuroanatomical symptoms. In 2001, I joined Scientist in the Biomedical Research
and Diagnostic Centre (BRDC) of Manovikas Kendra, a nongovernmental organization involved in rehabilitation and research programs on mentally challenged children. There I worked on the genetics of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and collaborated with my colleagues at Manovikas Kendra and IICB to investigate mitochondrial pathology of neurodevelopmental disorders, ASD, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), combining cell biology with the cybrid model and Genetics. I had (continuing extension without additional support) two ongoing projects on the genetic association of serotonergic system genes and folate pathway genes with ASD funded by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Govt. of India. Last month, I received an international grant from the International Society for Neurochemistry for USD 9250 for one year, and the support is only for research supplies. I have sixteen years of research experience on developmental disabilities. This year I received another grant from the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Govt of India for two years in collaboration with the University of Reading (PI: Prof Bhismadev Chakraborty) under the SPARC scheme for a proposal entitled, "Neural, behavioural, and genetic underpinnings of social behaviour in autism spectrum disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder." So far, I have 47 publications, which have been cited 1345 times and have an h-index of 21. I am delighted to state here that my research exposure during my academic and professional arena made me capable of executing the current research programs at IUCBR & SSH and have the necessary skills and knowledge to implement the programs effectively. Seven research students under my supervision have been awarded a Ph. D degree in Biotechnology from the University of Calcutta. Currently, four students are registered at MG University, Kottayam, in interdisciplinary sciences.

Employment

  • Mahatma Gandhi University Senior Scientist
    2017 - Present
  • Manovikas Kendra Rehabilitation and Research Institute Scientist
    2001 - 2017
  • CSIR - Indian Institute of Chemical Biology Post Doctoral Researcher
    1994 - 2001

Education

Education history is unavailable.

Projects & Funding

Projects & funding information is unavailable.

Publications (48)