Pooja Lahiri
Also known as: Pooja Chowdhury
Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Medical University of Graz, University of Glasgow, SRM University
0000-0002-6305-9451
About
My research focuses on developing next-generation biophotonic and spectroscopic biosensing technologies for early disease detection, precision diagnostics, and translational healthcare. I integrate biophotonics, vibrational spectroscopy (FTIR, Raman, Hyperspectral nano-imaging), micro-/nano-fabrication, machine learning, and clinical validation to develop/engineer scalable diagnostic platforms addressing unmet needs in infectious diseases, metabolic disorders, neurodegeneration, and oncology.
A core theme of my work is understanding biomolecular organization and protein abberation phenomena in disease, translating spectral fingerprints into robust biomarkers. My doctoral and postdoctoral research established amyloid-like spectral signatures in pre-cancerous tissues and metabolic pathologies, advancing label-free detection strategies. More recently, my peer-reviewed research has established spectroscopy-driven AI frameworks for serum- and tissue-based detection and stratification of infectious diseases (Dengue, Chikungunya, SARS-CoV-2), metabolic dysfunctions including migraine, and oncological conditions such as oral pre-cancers and prostate cancer, bridging laboratory innovation with clinical workflows.
At IIT Kharagpur’s Advanced Technology Development Centre (ATDC), my group aims to build a Translational Biophotonics Laboratory that enables development of portable, low-cost, high-sensitivity diagnostic platforms for resource-constrained settings. Current thrust areas include multimodal micro-spectroscopic data fusion (FTIR, RAMAN, and Hyperspectral), and edge-AI deployment. I actively pursue translational partnerships with hospitals, industry, and national mission programs to accelerate technology readiness and commercialization.
Beyond research, I am deeply committed to mentoring interdisciplinary talent, building open research infrastructure, and integrating cutting-edge research into curriculum and national outreach through MOOCs and training programs.
Employment
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Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur Assistant Professor2026 - Present
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Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur Institute Postdoctoral Fellow2018 - 2021
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Medical University of Graz Postdoctoral Research Fellow2016 - 2017
Education
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Medical University of Graz PhD2010 - 2016
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University of Glasgow MRes Biomedical Sciences2009 - 2010
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SRM University B.Tech2005 - 2009
Projects & Funding
Projects & funding information is unavailable.
Publications (18)
- FTIR-based molecular fingerprinting for the rapid classification of dengue and chikungunya from human sera using machine learning: an observational study Save
- Exceptional‐Point‐Enhanced Superior Sensing Using Asymmetric Coupled‐Lossy‐Resonator Based Optical Metasurface Save
- Fast Viral Diagnostics: FTIR-Based Identification, Strain-Typing, and Structural Characterization of SARS-CoV-2 Save
- A comprehensive FTIR micro-spectroscopic analysis and classification of precancerous human oral tissue aided by machine learning Save
- FTIR microspectroscopy and multivariate analysis facilitate identification of dynamic changes in epithelial‐to‐mesenchymal transition induced by TGF‐β in prostate cancer cells Save
- Comprehensive Evaluation of PAXgene Fixation on Oral Cancer Tissues Using Routine Histology, Immunohistochemistry, and FTIR Microspectroscopy Save
- Different Roles of p62 (SQSTM1) Isoforms in Keratin-Related Protein Aggregation Save
- Growth, serum biochemical, and histopathological responses of broilers administered with silver nanoparticles as a drinking water disinfectant Save
- Malignant potentiality assessment of oral submucous fibrosis through semi-quantitative approach Save
- tAF-MUSICAL: Autofluorescence Super-resolution Microscopy for Molecular Histopathology of Matrix Proteins in Fibrotic Diseases Save