MBBS/MPH Internship Program
MBBS/MPH Research Internship Program
Indian Institute of Science is hosting the research internship program for MBBS students to facilitate research exposure and help develop future physician scientists in the country in the year 2022. After the successful 1st call, the program is now extended to MPH (Master of Public Health) students as well. Under this program, the selected students will get an opportunity to work in a project under a faculty in Indian Institute of Science for a period of 1 to 2 months. The internship program will also include a webinar series featuring pedagogical talks on various research topics to provide a key insight into a specific medically relevant problem.
Thematic areas of Research:
Cancer Biology, Biomaterials, Biomedical devices, Artificial Intelligence, and many others.
Who can apply?
MBBS students:
Registered students who are in their third year of MBBS degree program at an MCI/ NMC recognized medical school in India and have completed/ or will complete their Phase-3 (Part 1) before December 2023 are eligible to apply.
MPH students:
Registered students who have completed/ will complete their 1st year MPH degree before December 2023 at a recognized institute in India are eligible to apply.
Transcripts will be checked before the start of the internship.
Duration:
The internship is for 4 weeks (minimum) to 8 weeks (maximum).
Selected students may avail this opportunity only once between April 2023 – February 2024 in consultation with IISc faculty.
Stipend:
Selected candidates will be provided a stipend of INR. 25000 (+ travel allowance).
Candidates will not be provided hostel accommodation.
A certificate of participation will be awarded after the successful completion of the program.
How to apply?
Students may complete the below Google form to apply for the internship:
MBBS: Google form
MPH: Google form
To identify projects from the participating faculty in the program, visit the “List of Projects” section.
Application Process:
- Application Deadline : 28th February 2023
- (We are no longer accepting Applications)
- Requirements to apply:
- Academic record: Enter CGPA/overall percentage and Rank in Class.
MBBS students: If phase 3-part 1 scores are not announced at the time of application, enter previous semester grade/ percentage.
MPH students: If the 2nd semester results are not announced at the time of application, enter previous semester grade/ percentage.
- Laboratory preference: Select faculty preferences based on your research interests in the google form. To identify projects from the participating faculty in the program, visit the “List of Projects” section.
- Statement of Intent (200 words max): The Statement of Intent will be used to evaluate the applicant for admission into the internship program. You may use this section to provide insights into your academic record, career goals, and describe how the internship will benefit your aspirations.
- Support letter: The Registrar/Dean/Principal of your institution should confirm, on an official letterhead that, “The applicant meets the eligibility criteria of the internship program at the time of application”. All uploaded documents should be less than 10 MB.
- Incomplete applications will not be considered for the program.
- Selected candidates for the internship program will be informed by March 2023.
Disclaimer:
- Submitted applications will be evaluated to identify qualified applicants for the laboratories of choice indicated in the form during the time of application.
- For any queries, refer to FAQs section.
Contact Information:
Email: iisc.opportunities@gmail.com
Dr. Rachit Agarwal
BioSystems Science and Engineering
Email ID: rachit@iisc.ac.in
Lab website link: https://be.iisc.ac.in/~rachit/index.html
Title of the project: Sustained release of H2S for treatment of osteoarthritis.
Brief Description of Project Goals and Objectives: Hydrogel sulfide (H2S) is an important gas in preventing oxidative stress. H2S production by cells is known to be lower in osteoarthritis. We are developing strategies (using biomaterials and synthetic substrates of H2S-producing enzymes) to increase the production of H2S in a sustained manner in a mouse model of osteoarthritis.
Prof. S.P. Arun
Centre for Neurosciences
Email ID: sparun@iisc.ac.in
Lab website link: https://sites.google.com/site/visionlabiisc/
Title of the project: Differences Perception in schizophrenia
Brief Description of Project Goals and Objectives: It is becoming increasingly apparent that schizophrenia patients have differences in low-level sensory processing, which could contribute to their symptoms. Do schizophrenia patients see as we do? The goal of this project is to characterize multiple qualitative properties of visual perception between normal adults and schizophrenia patients. This will be a collaborative project with clinicians at NIMHANS.
Prof. Bikramjit Basu
Materials Research Center
Email ID: bikram@iisc.ac.in
Lab website link: https://bikramjitbasu.in/
Title of the project: Development and clinical evaluation of hybrid threaded metallic dental implant system
Brief Description of Project Goals and Objectives: i. To compare the osseointegration in the test implant and control implant by verifying the bone-implant contact ratio (BIC) using CBCT radiography. ii. To understand the clinical performance of hybrid thread design under functional loading conditions of chewing by radiography and implant stability quotient (ISQ) analysis. iii. Post-implantation assessment of plaque index and gingival papillary bleeding index, probing pocket depth, clinical attachment level, and gingival recession height. iv. Post-implantation Oral health impact profile analysis via Oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) questionnaire.
Prof. Pradipta Biswas
Centre for Product Design and Manufacturing & Robert Bosch Centre for Cyber Physical Systems
Email ID: pradipta@iisc.ac.in
Lab website link: https://cambum.net/I3D.htm
Title of the project: Holoportation of Medical Professional
Brief Description of Project Goals and Objectives: Providing input from a medical professional’s point of view for a robotic teleportation system. The system is supposed to be deployed at rural healthcare centres and operated remotely by holoporting medical professional.
Prof. M.S. Bobji
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Email ID: bobji@iisc.ac.in
Lab website link: https://mecheng.iisc.ac.in/fmlab/index.html
Title of the project: Characterisation of needle-induced damage in biological tissues
Brief Description of Project Goals and Objectives: Biopsy is a primary procedure to extract tissue samples for various medical investigations. During biopsy, a sharp probe is inserted deep into the tissues and samples are collected from the suspected region. Insertion of a biopsy needle is primarily a tissue-cutting process and causes damage to the surrounding healthy tissues as well. We have shown that force spikes during needle insertion led to periodic cone cracks in tissue-mimicking hydrogels. Preliminary results of needle insertion into the biological tissues also showed similar force spikes. However, due to the opaque nature of the tissues, it is difficult to visualise the crack. In this work, we will characterise the force spikes and corresponding tissue damage using biocompatible dyes. It will help in minimising the damage to healthy tissues during the biopsy.
Prof. Dipshikha Chakravortty
Molecular and Cell Biology
Email ID: dipa@iisc.ac.in
Lab website link: https://mcbl.iisc.ac.in/dclab/
Title of the project: Elucidating the life of Intracellular pathogens in Host
Brief Description of Project Goals and Objectives: Decade of research in the lab has dealt with understanding the immune evasion strategies in intravacuolar pathogen, especially Salmonella. Salmonella is a pathogen which is notorious for causing localized and systemic infections. This is a food and water born pathogen, however the extra-intestinal infections are severe and increasing. The objectives will be to understand how the salmonella containing vacuole can initiate the infection.
Prof. Kaushik Chatterjee
Department of Materials Engineering
Email ID: kchatterjee@iisc.ac.in
Lab website link: https://sites.google.com/site/iiscbiomaterials/
Title of the project: 3D printing of biomaterials for disease model.
Brief Description of Project Goals and Objectives: The broad goal is to prepare in vitro models that can serve as better alternatives to conventional 2D culture and animal models. We will use hydrogels loaded with cells to prepare 3D tissue scaffolds to prepare tissue constructs that can mimic the diseased tissues such as cancer, fibrosis, etc.
Dr. Debasis Das
Department of Inorganic and Physical Chemistry
Email ID: debasisdas@iisc.ac.in
Lab website link: https://sites.google.com/view/ddlaboratory/home?authuser=0
Title of the project: Biofilm Dispersion.
Brief Description of Project Goals and Objectives: The project involves the investigation of methods to disperse bacterial biofilms.
Dr. Prosenjit Das
Department of Materials Engineering
Email ID: prosenjitdas@iisc.ac.in
Lab website link: https://sites.google.com/view/ammpl/home
Title of the project: Biomedical studies on novel micro ceramic injection moulded Tooth colored dental brackets
Brief Description of Project Goals and Objectives: Summary-Prototype Tooth colored dental brackets (two design variants) have been developed for the first time in the country. At present, ceramic brackets are imported to our country and available for a cost of approx. 5 times than its metallic counterparts, which sets the stage for indigenous development of the tooth-coloured brackets at a comparable cost to metallic ones. Dental brackets, scientifically known as orthodontic brackets, are used for correction of irregular and deformable teeth of the people over a period which helps to make proper teeth alignment. The alumina (ceramic) brackets available worldwide are transparent (monocrystalline alumina)or translucent (polycrystalline alumina) in nature, which results in higher price. However, brackets developed in this work are Tooth colored i.e, it offers similar to superior functionality at a much lesser cost. The developed Tooth coloured alumina dental brackets are found to posses’ average density of approx. 3.8gm/cc (98% of theoretical density of alumina).
Objectives: Development of prototype Tooth colored orthodontic brace set, having constituent brackets of different configuration, adopting micro injection moulding route and evaluation of bio compatibility by performing cytotoxicity, genotoxicity, immunogenic, soft tissue response, histology, biomechanical tests, histomorphometry analysis etc.
Prof. Sandeep M Eswarappa
Department of Biochemistry
Email ID: sandeep@iisc.ac.in
Lab website link: https://sites.google.com/view/dr-sandeep-m-eswarappa/home?authuser=0
Title of the project: Therapeutic induction of readthrough across disease-causing nonsense mutations
Brief Description of Project Goals and Objectives: We use antisense oligonucleotides and a CRISPR system to achieve therapeutic induction of readthrough across disease-causing nonsense mutations. At present, we target beta-thalassemia, muscular dystrophy, and hereditary spherocytosis.
Dr. Nikhil Gandasi
Molecular Development Reproduction and Genetics
Email ID: grnikhil@iisc.ac.in
Lab website link: https://nikhilgandasi.com , https://mrdg.iisc.ac.in/nikhil-gandasi/?preview=true
Title of the project: Isolation of human pancreatic tissue to compare the cytoarchitecture and differences during diabetes.
Brief Description of Project Goals and Objectives: The pancreatic functions are extensive studies using mouse models, but the organization of the pancreas varies a lot between mice and humans. Therefore, there is a large need to understand the cyto-architecture of pancreatic cells in the human pancreas. This in turn will help in understanding pancreatic exocrine disorders, pancreatitis, pancreatic cancer, and diabetes. A large proportion of our population is affected by these disorders and our work will focus on bringing in novel treatment targets, and diagnostic tools to help people suffering from these ailments. The student will be well-positioned to understand how we isolate and study pancreas in the mice and then apply this to anatomical tissues in humans. We are looking for candidates with long term motivation and drive.
Prof. Namrata Gundiah
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Email ID: namrata@iisc.ac.in
Lab website link: https://mecheng.iisc.ac.in/namrata/
Title of the project: Mechano-diagnostics in cancer cell adhesions to substrates
Brief Description of Project Goals and Objectives: The adhesion of cells to substrates occurs via integrin clustering and binding to the actin cytoskeleton. Oncogenes modify anchorage-dependent mechanisms in cells during cancer progression. Fluid shear devices provide a label-free way to quantify cell-substrate interactions, heterogeneities in the cell populations, and visualize the dynamic changes in signalling during adhesions to substrates. The goals of this work are to use interdisciplinary methods in mechanobiology to quantify cell adhesions in cancer cells. Students will learn to label cancer cells for specific markers, and subject them to a range of shear stresses using a custom fabricated and patented device on a microscope stage. Tractions exerted by cells on substrates will be measured and used to assess the role of contractility in adhesions. Such methods may be useful in developing mechano-diagnostic methods in cancers and to test the role of various pharmacological treatments that influence cell adhesions to substrates.
Prof. Thomas Gregor Issac
Centre for Brain Research
Email ID: thomasgregor@iisc.ac.in
Lab website link: https://www.cbr.iisc.ac.in/people/thomas-gregor-issac/
Title of the project: Non Invasive Brain stimulation strategies for Cognitive Enhancement (NICE) program
Brief Description of Project Goals and Objectives: CBR- NICE program is a unique initiative for understanding neurodegenerative disorders. It can offer cognitive stimulation utilizing state-of-the-art Transcranial Electrical stimulation (tES) , repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) for diagnosis, prognosis and therapeutics especially for cognitive disorders like Mild Cognitive impairment (MCI) and mild and moderate forms of various Dementias for cognitive enhancement and improving synaptic plasticity.
Prof. Balaji Jayaprakash
Centre for Neuroscience
Email ID: jbalaji@iisc.ac.in
Lab website link: http://www.cns.iisc.ac.in/balaji/
Title of the project: Testing memory and cognition using virtual reality
Brief Description of Project Goals and Objectives: Mammalian brain acquires, encodes, and consolidates memories for events and facts. Hippocampal formation is initially required for storing this information but over time these memories can be retrieved independent of hippocampus. Simultaneously hippocampus has been shown to be playing a critical role in spatial navigation. Thus, providing an opportunity to measure hippocampal function through measuring navigational ability. In this project we will be developing / administer VR based tasks to determine the ego centric and allocentric strategic components adopted by the humans during navigation. During a regular spatial navigation our brain utilizes both strategies however, the degree of preference for ego/allocentric behavior is strongly correlated with hippocampal function. In this project using vector analysis (as developed in our recent study Meenakshi et al, Hippocampus 2022) to measure this preference in a single task as a function of age in a population.
Dr. Sudha Kumari
Microbiology and Cell Biology
Email ID: SudhaKm@iisc.ac.in
Lab website link: https://sudhakm.wixsite.com/immunosurveillance-l
Title of the project: Immune modulation in ovarian cancer
Brief Description of Project Goals and Objectives: The goals of the project are two-fold:
1. To culture T cells 2. To visualize metabolic signaling in ovarian cancer-entrained T cells
Dr. Shovamayee Maharana
Microbiology and cell biology
Email ID: shova@iisc.ac.in
Lab website link: https://mcbl.iisc.ac.in/shovamayee-maharana/
Title of the project: Cell biology of amyloid formation during neurodegenerative diseases
Brief Description of Project Goals and Objectives: Cells contain dynamic assemblies of proteins and nucleic acids known as condensates e.g. PML bodies, cajal bodies and stress granules. The proteins driving the formation of these condensates are aggregate-prone and form solid-like aggregates in neurodegeneration and resulting in inflammation. Interestingly the cytoplasmic condensate-stress granule help in buffering inflammation in cells. Stress granules also contain the proteins which aggregate in the disease. Amyloid aggregates increase with ageing and also when suffering from physical or mental trauma. We want to probe the effect of amyloid formation on condensates and inflammation. We will use human cell lines, and blood samples and label the proteins which are prone to form amyloid aggregates. Following are the 3 major aims- 1)Detect amyloid aggregates in the blood 2)Effect of amyloid aggregates on cellular inflammation 3)Effect of amyloid aggregates on cellular condensates.
Prof. Monto Mani
Centre for Sustainable Technologies
Email ID: monto@iisc.ac.in
Lab website link: https://cst.iisc.ac.in/sudesi/
Title of the project: Well-being achieved in Earthen Residences (WAFER)
Brief Description of Project Goals and Objectives: The project aims to examine the impact of various building typologies on the health and well-being of its occupants. Building materials have the ability to regulate indoor moisture, which has a direct bearing on skin wettedness and warm respiratory comfort. The impact of indoor moisture on thermal comfort and health is an emerging topic in the domain of building sciences. The study would also examine the impact of moisture on indoor toxicity. The work is exploratory and involves building sciences and human physiology and comfort. The work is expected to involves some field work in rural areas/villages around bangalore, and exploring mechanisms of moisture in buildings and its impact on human physiology.
Prof. Santanu Mukherjee
Department of Organic Chemistry
Email ID: sm@iisc.ac.in
Lab website link: https://orgchem.iisc.ac.in/santanu_mukherjee/SM.htm
Title of the project: Enantioselective Catalysis
Brief Description of Project Goals and Objectives: Asymmetric synthesis is a frontier research area in Organic Chemistry. Enantioselective synthesis of organic compounds in a catalytic fashion is both economic and sustainable. Our lab works on developing new enantioselective transformations using small organic molecules (organocatalysts) or transition metals, or a combination of both as catalysts.
Prof. Upendra Nongthomba
Molecular Reproduction, Development and Genetics
Email ID: upendra@iisc.ac.in
Lab website link: https://dbgl.wordpress.com
Title of the project: Screening of small molecules to ameliorate neurological disorders in model organisms.
Brief Description of Project Goals and Objectives: We have generated models of many human neurological disorders, like epilepsy, tauopathy, and Alzheimer’s, in Drosophila and Zebrafish. These models can be used to screen small molecules and local health tradition formulations, which could ameliorate/alleviate the phenotypes.
Prof. Purusharth I Rajyaguru
Department of Biochemistry
Email ID: rajyaguru@iisc.ac.in
Lab website link: https://rajgodhuli.wixsite.com/rajyaguru-lab
Title of the project: Role of RNA granules in health and disease.
Brief Description of Project Goals and Objectives: To understand the role of RNA-binding proteins with low complexity sequences in determining mRNA fate. We focus on RNA-binding proteins implicated in RNA granule dynamics including those involved in neurodegenerative diseases such as ALS/FTD
Dr. Subinoy Rana
Materials research centre
Email ID: subinoy@iisc.ac.in
Lab website link: https://drsubinoyrana.wordpress.com/
Title of the project: Detection of Myocardial Infarction Biomarkers Using a Novel Ultrasensitive Biosensor
Brief Description of Project Goals and Objectives: Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of mortality worldwide. In India alone, the rate is 28%, with 53% occur before the age of 70 years. CVDs are mainly associated with the build-up of fatty deposits inside the arteries leading to increased risk of blood clots, called myocardial infarctions (MI). However, the diagnosis of MI requires at least two components amongst history, electrocardiogram, and markers such as troponin, which is time-specific, time-consuming, and costly. We propose to develop an accurate and sensitive diagnostic device that is capable of rapidly detecting cTn in healthy individuals and suspected AMI patients using easily discernible color changes, which are highly amenable for use in the field or clinics. Our method presents a novel colorimetric signal creation signal amplification strategy that may be used in a variety of setups.
Objectives: To establish an ultrasensitive immunoassay platform for cTn biomarker in saliva using cascade reaction strategy. The naked-eye colorimetric assay will be translated into lateral flow device for point-of-care detection. Quantification of the biomarker using a mobile phone as the reading device will enable creating a database for early prediction of predisposition to developing CVD complications.
Dr. Shantanu P Shukla
Molecular Reproduction, Development and Genetics
Email ID: sps@iisc.ac.in
Lab website link: https://shantanu-shukla.com
Title of the project: Physiological and evolutionary aspects of insect-microbiome interactions
Brief Description of Project Goals and Objectives: The project involves investigating the microbiome and microbial symbionts that reside in the gut and other tissues of insects. The objectives are to study their transmission from mother to offspring, their contribution to host metabolism and how these interactions evolve to form mutualistic associations.
Prof. Kumar Somasundaram
Microbiology and Cell Biology
Email ID: skumar1@iisc.ac.in
Lab website link: https://mcbl.iisc.ac.in/kumaravel-somasundaram/
Title of the project: Genetics of glioma: dissecting plasticity of cancer stem cells to develop novel therapeutic methods.
Brief Description of Project Goals and Objectives: Glioblastoma is a detrimental brain tumor with less than 2 years of life expectancy. They are refractory to conventional therapy and show a high relapse rate. GBM tumors exhibit diverse intra-tumoral heterogeneity with multidirectional evolution of clones created by a plethora of genetic and epigenetic events. Plasticity being an obstacle in targeting the GBM cells, the discovery of glioma stem-like cells (GSCs) a decade ago shed light on the dark side of GBM. The intrinsic escape pathways and quiescence encoded within GSCs, in combination with niche signals, offer advantages like resistance to radio/chemotherapy, high invasion and migration capabilities, trans-differentiation, and enhanced self-renewal to tumors. This project will provide an opportunity to analyze the high-throughput sequencing data obtained from glioma stem cells and identify potential molecules to target glioma
Dr. Umesh Srinivasan
Centre for Ecological Sciences
Email ID: umeshs@iisc.ac.in
Lab website link: https://ces.iisc.ac.in/?q=user/408
Title of the project: Understanding the synergistic impacts of climate change and habitat degradation on Himalayan biodiversity
Brief Description of Project Goals and Objectives: Climate change and habitat loss are the greatest ongoing threats to biodiversity today, and are the ultimate drivers of the sixth ever mass extinction of Earth’s species. Our work aims to understand how these two global change drivers interact to impact the behaviour and population viability of biodiversity–especially birds–in the Eastern Himalaya global biodiversity hotspot. We largely use field-based data collection methods in the northeast Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh.
Dr. Kartik Sunagar
Centre for Ecological Sciences
Email ID: ksunagar@iisc.ac.in
Lab website link: www.venomicslab.com
Title of the project: Snake venom-induced coagulopathies.
Brief Description of Project Goals and Objectives: India suffers the highest snakebite-related deaths and disabilities globally. Over 58,000 people succumb to snake envenoming in India annually, and three times that number suffer permanent disabilities. This internship will involve characterising venom-induced coagulopathies of various Indian snakes, as well as the molecular pathways that lead to these toxicities in humans. The outcomes of this project will pave the way for the development of pathology-specific treatment for India’s 100,000 annual snakebite victims.
Dr. Jonas S. Sundarakumar
Centre for Brain Research
Email ID: sjonas@iisc.ac.in
Lab website link: https://www.cbr.iisc.ac.in/people/jonas-sundarakumar/
Title of the project: 1) Studying the association of cardiometabolic and vascular risk factors with dementia
2) Exploring the role of sleep and physical activity in cognitive functioning using novel biosensors
Brief Description of Project Goals and Objectives: My research is primarily aimed at studying the aging human brain, particularly in pathological aging, thereby understanding the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders, such as dementia. I am PI/Co-PI in two large-scale, community-based, prospective, aging cohort studies conducted at the Centre for Brain Research, IISc – Srinivaspura Aging NeuroSenescence and COGnition (SANSCOG) study in rural Karnataka/Tata Longitudinal Study of Aging (TLSA) in urban Bangalore. These studies are aimed at identifying risk and protective factors for dementia, specifically in the diverse Indian population. Aging adults from rural/urban India are studied longitudinally over a long period of time, using multi-modal clinical, cognitive, and biochemical measurements and brain MRI. The valuable insights gained from these studies will contribute to developing appropriate interventions that can help in preventing, delaying the onset, or mitigating the course of dementia
Dr. Albert Stezin Sunny
Centre for Brain Research
Email ID: albertstezin@iisc.ac.in
Lab website link: https://www.cbr.iisc.ac.in/group/clinical-scientific-staff/
Title of the project: Evaluation of biomechanical biomarkers for early identification of physiological and pathological neurodegeneration in ageing.
Brief Description of Project Goals and Objectives: This project attempts to identify gait and postural stability as biomechanical biomarkers to identify neurodegeneration in ageing, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease in their clinical and prodromal stages.
Prof. William R Surin
Microbiology and Cell Biology
Email ID: wrsurin@iisc.ac.in
Lab website link: https://mcbl.iisc.ac.in/william-r-surin/
Title of the project: Elucidation of inflammatory markers in animal models of respiratory inflammation
Brief Description of Project Goals and Objectives: Airway diseases like Cystic Fibrosis (CF), Asthma, and Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are some of the major airway inflammatory diseases and the leading cause of mortality in developed and developing countries. The major risk factors for airway diseases are cigarette smoking, exposure to dust, fumes, and air pollution particles. Airway epithelium, submucosa, pulmonary environment, and the interplay between cytokines and immune cells in the lungs play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of inflammatory airway diseases. We propose to study various airway inflammatory diseases by developing suitable animal models. We also propose to identify pathways and molecular markers that may play a crucial role in the progression of inflammatory respiratory disease.
Dr. Ajay Tijore
BioSystems Science and Engineering
Email ID: ajaytijore@iisc.ac.in
Lab website link: https://www.tijorelab.com/
Title of the project: Development of Ultrasound-Generated Mechanical Force-Based Technology for ‘Indian Oral Cancer’ Treatment
Brief Description of Project Goals and Objectives: The project aims to determine the mechanical vulnerability of patient-derived-oral tumor cells and then utilize this knowledge to optimize ultrasound-mediated mechanical forces to enhance oral tumor cell killing without damaging healthy cells. Ultrasound-induced apoptosis will be a major criterion for mapping the mechanical killing of tumor cells. Patient-derived tumor cells will be treated with ultrasound and resulting apoptosis will be compared to that observed in tissue-matched normal cells
Prof. Bhushan Toley
Department of Chemical Engineering
Email ID: bhushan@iisc.ac.in
Lab website link: https://toleylab.weebly.com/
Title of the project: Improving the sensitivity of rapid antigen tests using DNA nanotechnology
Brief Description of Project Goals and Objectives: The COVID rapid antigen tests that gained popularity during the latter part of the COVID pandemic are based on a technology called lateral flow immunoassays. While extremely simple to use and highly portable, their sensitivity for the detection of low concentrations of antigens is often insufficient. The goal of this project is to develop methods to amplify the signal generated in lateral flow assays using a technique called DNA nanotechnology. Specifically, the goal is to develop lateral flow assays that have at least 10x improved limits of detection of the analyte compared to current rapid antigen tests.
Dr. Medhavi Vishwakarma
BioSystems Science and Engineering
Email ID: medhavi@iisc.ac.in
Lab website link: https://medhavi-embrg-bsse.netlify.app/
Title of the project: Biophysical characterization of mammary acini using tractable 3D organoid cultures.
Brief Description of Project Goals and Objectives: Acini are basic anatomical units of the mammary gland and contain secretory epithelial cells in the shape of a 3D hollow sphere. Breast cancer originates in the acini before tumour cells fill in the hollow lumen. Growing a tractable 3D organoid cultures of mammary acini is essential to obtain an understanding of fundamental phenomena underlying tumorigenesis. In this project, you will learn to develop 3D breast organoid cultures, and visualize them using microscopic tools. You will also learn how to measure cellular forces in 3D organoid cultures
Prof. Siddharth Jhunjhunwala
Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering (BSSE)
Email ID: siddharth@iisc.ac.in
Lab website link: https://jhunjhunwalalab.in/
Title of the project: Longitudinal blood biochemistry and immunological profiling to identify early risk factors of diabetes and its secondary complications.
Brief Description of Project Goals and Objectives: The intern will work with a team of individuals who are working to generate a longitudinal blood biochemistry and immunology cohort in IISc. While various aspects of research will be learned, specifically, the intern will work on gathering data from blood biochemistry profiling, collecting responses from individuals coming in for blood draws on their exercise and food habits, and performing immunological phenotyping in an advanced research laboratory.
Prof. Rahul Roy
Department of Chemical Engineering
Email ID: rahulroy@iisc.ac.in
Lab website link: https://chemeng.iisc.ac.in/chemeweb/faculty_rahul.htm
Title of the project -1: Multiplexed Serology of Known Pathogens in Rural India
Brief Description of Project Goals and Objectives: This project aims to investigate the prevalence of known pathogens in rural India using a multiplexed serological assay. The project will include the collection of blood samples from a representative sample of individuals living in rural areas of Karnataka, followed by serological testing using a multiplexed assay. The assay will be able to detect the presence of antibodies against multiple pathogens in a single sample, allowing for more efficient and cost-effective testing. The project will also include a survey component to gather information on the risk factors and socioeconomic status of the participants. The survey will also include questions on knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to the pathogens under investigation.
Title of the project -2: Dengue Virus Antigenicity in India
Brief Description of Project Goals and Objectives: This project aims to investigate the antigenicity of the dengue virus in a human cohort. Dengue is a mosquito-borne disease caused by four distinct serotypes of the dengue virus (DENV-1, DENV-2, DENV-3, and DENV-4). The project will include the collection of blood samples from individuals living in areas where dengue is endemic. The samples will be tested for the presence of antibodies against dengue viral proteins using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) or other similar methods.
Prof. Deepak Kumar Saini
Molecular Reproduction, Development and Genetics
Email ID: deepaksaini@Iisc.ac.in
Lab website link: https://sites.google.com/site/sainislab/home
Title of the project: Establishing baseline seroreactivity of selected bacterial antigens in Indian population
Brief Description of Project Goals and Objectives: In this project, we will examine population level sero reactivity to select purified immuno-dominant bacterial antigens to establish baseline infection rates in Indian population. The project will involve purification of antigen and analysis of reactivity through ELISA.
Prof. Rajesh Sundaresan
Division of Electrical, Electronics and Computer Sciences
Email ID: rajeshs@iisc.ac.in
Lab website link: https://ece.iisc.ac.in/~rajeshs/
Brief Description of Project Goals and Objectives: We are looking for motivated interns who can help us with estimation techniques for assessing disease burden from serology data. Based on the available serology data for a particular infectious disease, the intern will first estimate the disease burden in each district of Karnataka without accounting for spatial correlation. Subsequently, the intern will develop methods that include geospatial correlation. Finally, the intern will compare the two methods and provide quantitative and qualitative arguments for bringing geospatial correlation.
Dr. Jonas S. Sundarakumar
Centre for Brain Research
Email ID: sjonas@iisc.ac.in
Lab website link: https://www.cbr.iisc.ac.in/people/jonas-sundarakumar/
Title of the project: 1) Studying the association of cardiometabolic and vascular risk factors with dementia
2) Exploring the role of sleep and physical activity in cognitive functioning using novel biosensors
Brief Description of Project Goals and Objectives: My research is primarily aimed at studying the aging human brain, particularly in pathological aging, thereby understanding the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders, such as dementia. I am PI/Co-PI in two large-scale, community-based, prospective, aging cohort studies conducted at the Centre for Brain Research, IISc – Srinivaspura Aging NeuroSenescence and COGnition (SANSCOG) study in rural Karnataka/Tata Longitudinal Study of Aging (TLSA) in urban Bangalore. These studies are aimed at identifying risk and protective factors for dementia, specifically in the diverse Indian population. Aging adults from rural/urban India are studied longitudinally over a long period of time, using multi-modal clinical, cognitive, and biochemical measurements and brain MRI. The valuable insights gained from these studies will contribute to developing appropriate interventions that can help in preventing, delaying the onset, or mitigating the course of dementia
I have completed my MBBS degree. Am I eligible to apply under this program?
The program is for registered MBBS students who have completed 3rd year (phase 3 part 1 completed).
I have not yet received the marksheet of Part-1 examination of MBBS. Can I apply without the document?
Mention the previous semester CGPA/OGPA and rank when you apply. If selected, the marksheet should be produced at the time of joining.
Is there any specific format for the letter of support ?
Please ensure that the letter of support clearly certify that the applicant meets the eligibility criteria for the MBBS/MPH internship program at IISc; there is no specific format.
Is there any provision to attend and complete the internship in virtual or online mode?
The selected students must attend and complete the program at IISc, Bengaluru.
I am an Indian student who is studying MBBS/MPH abroad. Am I eligible to apply under this program?
The program is for students who are registered for degree in India.
Will I get any accommodation facility at the campus during the period of internship?
The candidate will need to make his/her arrangements for lodging and boarding.
Are BDS or Doctor of Pharmacy students eligible to apply under this program?
The program is open only for registered MBBS or MPH students.
How will I know about my acceptance in the program?
Students selected for the internship will receive an email. A list of the selected candidates will be added to the website.
What is the maximum period for which the stipend will be provided?
The stipend will be provided for a maximum period of two months.