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umashankar vetrivel

National Institute for Research in Tuberculosis: Chennai, Tamilnadu, IN, National Institute for Research in Tuberculosis, Regional Medical Research Centre Belgaum

ORCID iD 0000-0003-4697-2115
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About

Dr. Umashankar has been a pioneer in the fields of bioinformatics, genomics, and computational biology for over two decades, making remarkable contributions to research, education, and mentorship. His work has focused on infectious diseases, drug discovery, ocular bioinformatics, and personalized medicine, underpinned by a deep commitment to public health and the development of innovative tools and resources for the scientific community. With a robust academic foundation, Dr. Umashankar earned his Ph.D. in Zoology from the University of Madras (Loyola College), specializing in drug target identification and bioinformatics. He further pursued an M.Phil. in Genetics from Dr. ALM PGIBMS, an M.Sc. in Zoology from Pachaiyappa’s College, and a PG Diploma in Bioinformatics from the University of Mysore. Adding to his credentials, he holds the esteemed S-Star Certification from the National University of Singapore. Recently, he completed the Advanced Scientific Leadership Program with the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative in Johannesburg, South Africa, refining his expertise in scientific leadership.

He is currently serving as Scientist-F at the ICMR-National Institute for Tuberculosis Research, Chennai, a position he has held since March 12, 2020. Initially, he was posted to the ICMR-National Institute for Traditional Medicine, Belagavi, upon joining ICMR. Before his current role in ICMR, Dr. Umashankar served as Head of the Department and Principal Scientist for a decade at the Centre for Bioinformatics, Vision Research Foundation, a unit of Sankara Nethralaya. In this capacity, he made significant contributions to ocular bioinformatics and research excellence. Earlier, he also held the position of Head of the Department, Bioinformatics, at the School of Biosciences, SRM University. Additionally, Dr. Umashankar has held diverse roles in academia and research, including Academic Head, Research Consultant, and Senior Research Analyst, at leading research and academic organizations. These roles have enriched his expertise and strengthened his contributions to bioinformatics and life sciences education in India.
Dr. Umashankar has pioneered advancements in ocular bioinformatics, creating novel therapeutic possibilities for vision-related diseases. His research spans peptide and drug discovery pipelines for ocular targets, functional mutation analysis in ocular genetic diseases, and the impact of hyperglycemia on retinal cells using Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS). His contributions include co-developing corneal-penetrating peptides with antifungal properties and designing antiangiogenic peptides for therapeutic applications. A cornerstone of Dr. Umashankar’s career has been his commitment to open science, reflected in the development of several open-source bioinformatics tools. These include POAP, PepVis, KinomeRun, PocketPipe, ACUA and OpenDiscovery, as well as specialized databases like InpacDB and PCOSDB. These tools have facilitated significant research in areas such as COVID-19, cancer, and infectious diseases, providing accessible solutions for scientists worldwide. In the fight against tuberculosis, Dr. Umashankar has made significant strides as the Principal Investigator of the Indian Catalogue of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Mutations and Their Association with Drug Resistance (Version 2.0)( https://nirt.res.in/pdf/mutation_catalogue_v2.pdf). This critical resource could enhance drug resistance surveillance and strengthened efforts to combat TB in India.His work in drug discovery has led to significant insights such as peptide inhibitors targeting Carbonic Anhydrase IX in cancer, published in ACS Omega. Furthermore, his genomic studies on drug-resistant strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (XDR, MDR, Ocular isolate) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa have provided insights into antibiotic resistance mechanisms. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Umashankar led genomic studies on SARS-CoV-2, including publishing whole-genome sequences and conducting innovative metagenomics research funded by Indo-UK GCRF. His in silico studies on phytochemicals targeting the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein was acknowledged with a Best Paper Award by ICMR-NITM.

With 140 peer-reviewed publications and an h-index of 26, Dr. Umashankar has contributed extensively to high-impact journals like Lancet- South East Asia, ACS Omega, PLOS One, and Frontiers in Bioinformatics. He has also authored book chapters and serves as an Associate Editor (BMC Bioinformatics) and reviewer for prominent journals, shaping the direction of bioinformatics research. Dr. Umashankar’s mentorship is equally commendable, having guided numerous postgraduate, M.Phil., and Ph.D. students, many of whom now excel in academia and industry. As a member of various Boards of Studies, he has played a crucial role in shaping bioinformatics education. Recognitions such as the Bioclues Innovation Research and Development (BIRD) Award, the Rapid Grant for Young Investigators, and

Employment

  • National Institute for Research in Tuberculosis: Chennai, Tamilnadu, IN Scientist F (Sr.Deputy Director Grade)
    2025 - Present
  • National Institute for Research in Tuberculosis Scientist E
    2021 - 2025
  • Regional Medical Research Centre Belgaum Scientist E
    2020 - 2021

Education

Education history is unavailable.

Projects & Funding

Projects & funding information is unavailable.

Publications (290)