Subramanian Dhandayuthapani, Ph.D., assistant professor in the department of microbiology and immunology has been invited to speak at the International Symposium on Emerging Trends in Tuberculosis Research Nov. 15 to 17 in New Delhi.
Tuberculosis (TB) remains a major public health problem in several parts of the world with an estimated mortality of 2 million per year. TB is caused by a bacterium called Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis) and strains of M. tuberculosis that are resistant to multiple drugs (MDR) cause MDR-TB, which is difficult to treat. Further, M. tuberculosis has the ability to exist in dormant condition within the tissues of infected individuals and most people in the community develop TB because of reactivation of the existing dormant bacteria rather than direct infection. The dormant bacteria become reactivated by factors such as aging, malnutrition and immunodeficiency.
Dr. Dhandayuthapani studies the molecular mechanism behind the adaptability of M. tuberculosis to different environmental conditions. In particular, his group of researchers have been investigating the stress signaling events that lead to the adaptation of M. tuberculosis to hostile environments such as macrophages and other human tissues. Dr. Dhandayuthapani will present his latest results at the symposium.
Dr. Dhandayuthapani is a member of American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Society for Microbiology and the International Organization of Mycoplasmology. He has received a Japan Health Sciences Visiting Scientist Fellowship and a travel grant from the Sasakawa Foundation. Dr. Dhandayuthapani received a doctorate of science from the University of Madras, India and post-doctoral training at National Institute for Leprosy Research Institute, Japan and Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey.
