Upadhyaylab
Lab Members
Dr. Arun Kumar Upadhyay
Dr. Arun Kumar Upadhyay is an esteemed researcher and educator specializing in neurodegeneration, proteomics, and drug discovery. Currently serving as an Assistant Professor at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bhilai, he integrates cutting-edge bioscience methodologies with AI-driven approaches to advance biomedical research. Dr. Upadhyay holds a Ph.D. in Bioscience and Bioengineering from IIT Jodhpur, complemented by an M.Sc. in Biochemistry from the University of Lucknow and a B.Sc. Honors from Hans Raj College, University of Delhi. His academic journey has been enriched by postdoctoral research at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, where he contributed to groundbreaking studies on protein misfolding, amyloid aggregation, and neurodegenerative diseases. His research focuses on Alzheimer’s disease, cancer biology, aging, maternal and child health, and autophagy, employing mass spectrometry and proteomics to unravel complex biological mechanisms. As an Associate Editor for multiple journals, including BMC Molecular and Cell Biology, BMC Neuroscience, and Frontiers in Genetics, he plays a pivotal role in shaping scientific discourse. His contributions extend to international collaborations, with memberships in prestigious organizations and fellowships from national and international organizations. Dr. Upadhyay is deeply passionate about science communication, striving to bridge the gap between complex research and public understanding. He actively engages in outreach initiatives, crafting accessible educational materials and fostering interdisciplinary dialogue. Through workshops, publications, and digital platforms, he advocates for inclusive, impactful scientific discourse, ensuring knowledge translates into societal benefit.
Postdoctoral Fellows
Dr. Shruti Gupta
Dr. Shruti Gupta is a dedicated researcher who joined the research group of Dr. Arun Kumar Upadhyay at the Indian Institute of Technology Bhilai in September 2025 under a Department of Biotechnology (DBT)-funded project. She was selected as a fellow for the prestigious DBT BioCARe programme (2024-25), a government initiative designed to empower women scientists in research. Dr. Gupta brings a strong foundation in biochemistry and nanobiotechnology to the team. She earned her Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the Central University of Rajasthan, where her doctoral work was centered on pioneering nanoformulations for combination therapy against pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Her research specifically involved the co-delivery of natural phytochemicals and standard chemotherapeutic drugs using biodegradable polymeric and metallic nanoparticles, aiming to enhance efficacy and reduce side effects. Her expertise is substantiated by a prolific publication record, containing research and review articles in reputable international journals such as the “International Journal of Pharmaceutics”, “Internation Journal of Biological Macromolecules”, “Journal of Biomolecular Structure and Dynamics”, “Biopolymers”, etc. Her expertise is deeply rooted in nanobiotechnology, specializing in the formulation and synthesis of metal and polymeric nanostructures as targeted drug delivery systems. She is highly skilled in a wide array of techniques, including mammalian cell culture (both normal and cancerous cell-lines), nanoformulation synthesis and characterization (DLS, Zeta Potential, XRD, FTIR, SEM, TEM), and various spectroscopic methods. She also has experience in pharmacoinformatic screening and molecular docking studies. In her current role, Dr. Gupta is adeptly applying her specialized knowledge in targeted nano delivery systems and combination therapy to pioneer new approaches in nano-drug mediated therapy for neurodegenerative applications. Her unique background in designing cancer therapeutics is a valuable asset in tackling the challenges of Aβ-induced toxicity, making her an integral member of Dr. Upadhyay's research team at IIT Bhilai.
Doctoral Candidates
Ashwini Nath Tiwari
Ashwini Nath Tiwari, currently pursuing PhD at the Department of Bioscience and Biomedical Engineering. He completed his M.Sc. in Zoology from University of Allahabad and B.Sc. Honors from Deen Dayal Upadhyay Gorakhpur University. He qualified national level examinations, including CSIR-NET, GATE, DBT-JRF. His strong interests in neuroscience and protein biochemistry, his research focuses on understanding the molecular basis of protein misfolding and amyloid-beta aggregation in neurodegenerative disorders, particularly Alzheimer’s disease. His research work aims to explore novel mechanisms and modifiers of amyloid-beta aggregation or toxicity using biochemical and proteomics approaches.
Sadhna Soni
Sadhna Soni is a Ph.D. research scholar at IIT Bhilai. She qualified the GATE examination in Life Sciences in 2023. Her doctoral research focuses on neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders, with emphasis on the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS), protein aggregation, and cell death pathways. Her work aims to investigate how proteostasis imbalance drives disease progression and to explore therapeutic strategies for restoring cellular homeostasis. She completed her M.Sc. in Zoology from the University of Allahabad, where her project, “Bioenergetics and Parkinson’s Disease Pathophysiology,” examined the role of mitochondrial dysfunction and altered energy metabolism in neuronal degeneration. She completed her B.Sc. (Honors) in Zoology at Indira Gandhi National Tribal University, Amarkantak. Sadhna aspires to bridge fundamental biology with translational research to advance the understanding and treatment of complex neurological disorders
Akanksha Nair
Akanksha Nair is an M. Tech graduate in Molecular Medicine and B. Tech genetic engineering with over 5 years of research experience, including 3 years in reproductive biology and 2 years in Cancer biology. In 2025, she joined the PhD program at IIT, Bhilai in the Department of Bioscience, to continue her research journey in the field. In 2022, She joined as a Junior Research Fellow at ICMR-NIRRCH on the project “Identification and Characterization of Sertoli and Leydig Cells Homing Peptides for Targeted Testicular Drug Delivery.” This role strengthened her expertise in reproductive biology and provided hands-on training in cell culture, flow cytometry, confocal microscopy, and animal handling. Her work was published in ACS Pharmacology & Translational Science which was focused on developing peptides targeting Sertoli and Leydig cells for potential therapeutic applications. Earlier in her career (2019), she received a competitive fellowship at the Cancer Cytogenetics Department, ACTREC, Mumbai where she trained in karyotyping and FISH, analyzing hematological malignancies such as B-ALL, AML, CML, and multiple myeloma. She later worked at Lilac Insights Pvt. Ltd., extending her clinical research experience with hematological malignancy samples. During her M.Tech, she completed her thesis project on “Development and Evaluation of Plumbagin-Loaded Chitin Hydrogel for the Treatment of Skin Cancer.” Where she evaluated plumbagin’s anticancer activity on melanoma cell lines A375 and A431, formulated a topical chitin hydrogel, and evaluated its stability and penetration efficiency by Franz diffusion assay. This work was published in the Journal of Drug Delivery Science and Technology.
Maumita Saha
Maumita Saha completed her Bachelor's degree in Biotechnology from SRM University, Chennai, followed by a master’s degree in biotechnology from KIIT University, Bhubaneswar. She has completed her master’s dissertation from Indian Institute of Chemical Biology (IICB), Kolkata on a project titled "Nano-encapsulated ellagic acid prevents carbon tetrachloride induced oxidative liver damage". She contributed to an ICMR-funded project on Neonatal Sepsis conducted at Agartala Government Medical College and GBP Hospital, Tripura. Subsequently, she worked at Tripura University, specializing in microbiology and there she published highly cited article. In addition to her research experience, Maumita has taught biology and chemistry to school students, showcasing her passion for education. Her strong research aptitude earned her the prestigious DST WISE KIRAN Fellowship. Currently, her research focuses on Alzheimer's disease. Outside the laboratory, Maumita is an avid singer and enjoys traveling.
Postgraduate Students
Amrendra Singh
Amrendra Singh, is currently pursuing MTech program in Department of Bioscience and Bioengineering under the supervision of Dr. Arun Kumar Upadhyay at Indian Institute of Technology, Bhilai. He has completed his BTech in Biotechnology from Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Technical University, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh in 2024.Currently he is working on the thesis project “In-silico and In-vitro studies of bioactive compounds as a therapeutic potential against the Neurodegenerative diseases”. His research interests are therapeutic compound–protein Interaction in brain disorders and antiviral drug discovery. In the year 2022, he actively participated in six months extensive project entitled “Molecular Docking-based Screening of Natural Bioactive against the H3N2 Influenza virus” under the mentorship of Samadhan Lifesciences. The project involved insilico identification and molecular docking of plant derived bioactive compounds targeting key viral proteins of the H3N2 influenza strain where he trained in computational tool for ligand and receptor preparation, molecular docking analysis and result intrepretation. Recently, while pursuing his master’s thesis he was involved in writing a Book chapter entitled “Visualizing and mapping cell death: Biochemical tools, techniques and assays” in the book named “Progress in Molecular Biology and Translational Science”. During his graduation, he also worked on a short-term project entitled “Algae mediated phytoremediation: A comprehensive review of sustainable environmental clean-up strategies.”
Ankita Ghosh
Ankita Ghosh is currently pursuing MTech in Biomedical Devices from Indian Institute of Technology Bhilai at Bioscience and Biomedical Engineering Department under the supervision of Dr. Arun Kumar Upadhyay. She has completed her M.Sc. in Zoology with specialization in Molecular Biology and Genetics from The University of Burdwan and B.Sc. in Zoology Honours from M.U.C Women’s College under The University of Burdwan. During her Master’s degree in zoology she has been awarded with University Gold Medal for securing the first position at the university. She has qualified national level GATE examination in Life Science (XL) paper for three consecutive years 2024,2025,2026 and Biotechnology (BT)paper in 2024 and 2026.During her M.Sc. she had done a dissertation review paper on “Regenerative Medicine: Recent Advances and Applications of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells”. Her research interest focuses on bridging fundamental disease understanding with engineering innovation by identifying unexplored aspects of disease progression and transforming these insights into the development of lowcost diagnostic technologies for early and impactful healthcare solutions. Currently she is working on a project “Design and Development of a non-invasive, rapid, low-cost device for the detection of Acute Myocardial Infarction using salivary biomarkers.”
Vikash Bhardwaj
Vikash Bhardwaj is presently enrolled in the M.Tech program at the Indian Institute of Technology Bhilai, Department of Bioscience and Bioengineering, under the guidance of Dr. Arun Kumar Upadhyay. In 2024, he graduated with a Bachelor of Pharmacy (B.Pharm) from Pandit Bhagwat Dayal Sharma University of Health Sciences in Rohtak, Haryana, India. During his academic tenure, he achieved first place at the university level and received an Academic Excellence Award from Mr. Deepak Mangla, the local MLA. He also received the top grade in his institute's 2024 B.Pharm batch. He qualified national-level examinations, including GATE 2025 (Life Sciences) and GPAT 2025.He obtained practical laboratory expertise in organic synthesis, microbiological methods, pharmacognosy tests, and pharmaceutical formulation development throughout his undergraduate education. He became interested in neurodegenerative diseases, especially Alzheimer's disease, after studying the effects of medications that act on the central nervous system (CNS), such phenobarbital and phenytoin, using modeling tools (like X-Pharm).
Bhavesh kumar
Bhavesh Kumar is currently pursuing an MTech program in the Department of Bioscience and Bioengineering under the supervision of Dr. Arun Kumar Upadhyay at the Indian Institute of Technology Bhilai. He has completed his Bachelor of Pharmacy from Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Technical University, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. He qualified national exam Graduate Pharmacy aptitude test (GPAT) in year 2024. Currently, he is working on the thesis project “Bioactive compound as a therapeutic potential against neurodegenerative diseases and detection of protein aggregates.” His research interests are therapeutic compound–protein interaction in brain disorders and drug discovery. During his graduation, he also worked on a short-term project on “Formulation and Evaluation of Liposomes as Drug Delivery Systems” and completed a 7-day industrial training program in the Regulatory Affairs department at Herbo Nutra Extract Private Limited, Greater Noida. In the year 2022, he completed a 60-day hospital training program in the emergency department and the pharmacy department at Dr. Chauhan Sanjeevani Hospital, Gamma 1, Greater Noida.
Lab Alumni
Dr. Sandeep Kumar (Postdoctoral Fellow)
Dr. Sandeep Kumar is a neuroscientist by training whose work bridges molecular biology, electrophysiology, and computational analysis to understand how brain circuits regulate behavior and disease. He earned his PhD in Neuroscience from the National Brain Research Centre, India, where he investigated opioid modulation of motivated behavior in songbirds by site-specific neuropharmacology. To move on to explore brain mechanisms at the neural circuit level, he later trained as a Postdoctoral Associate at The Jackson Laboratory, USA, gaining expertise in patch-clamp electrophysiology and the circuitry of cocaine addiction in rodent models. To move on to more translational aspects of neuroscience with a focus on neurological disorders and their effects on behavior, Dr. Kumar joined Professor Upadhyay’s lab as a Research Associate at IIT Bhilai. Dr. Sandeep’s work focuses on the immunohistochemical and molecular characterization of proteins interacting with amyloid beta in Alzheimer’s disease. He is also incorporating ML-based data analysis tools for identifying novel modifiers of amyloid aggregation within the AD proteome. Sandeep’s lab time is often paired with freshly brewed coffee of different origins. He loves to have lively discussions with lab mates during this time. On the personal front, Sandeep likes cooking from scratch as well as eating out with lab buddies. A fitness enthusiast, he makes sure to run at least 10 kms a week to stay sharp and energized.
Dr. Mridula Sahu
Dr. Mridula Sahu is a dedicated researcher specializing in plant-based therapeutics for gut inflammation and allergic disorders. She is currently working at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bhilai under an IBITF-funded project on fiber extraction from natural sources. She has submitted her Ph.D. thesis focused on the exploration of medicinal plants for the management of ulcerative colitis at CSIR-Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CIMAP), Lucknow. Dr. Sahu completed her M.Sc. in Botany from Jiwaji University, Gwalior, securing a university rank and a B.Sc. in Biology from Career College, Bhopal. She qualified for the CSIRUGC JRF, GATE, Chhattisgarh SET, and secured DST-INSPIRE fellowship. Her research expertise spans the extraction and standardization of herbal formulations, phytochemical characterization (HPLC, GC-MS), molecular gut microbiome analysis, and in-vivo disease models of mucosal inflammation, allergic asthma, drug-induced hepatotoxicity, pyrexia, arthritis, type 2 diabetes and toxicity. She has contributed to high-impact publications in Phytomedicine, Molecular Biology Reports, Protoplasma and Inflammopharmacology and presented her work at national and international conferences, earning recognition for her scientific contributions. Beyond research, she is passionate about teaching, having conducted free online biology classes for underprivileged students. With her interdisciplinary skills in plant sciences, pharmacology, and biotechnology, Dr. Sahu aims to advance sustainable therapeutic solutions through regulation of gut microbiome.
