Subhadip Ghatak, PhD is an Assistant Professor at the Indiana Center for Regenerative Medicine and Engineering. Ghatak grew up in India. After completing his bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in physiology from University of Calcutta, Ghatak completed his PhD at West Bengal University of Health Sciences on arsenic induced liver Injury and regeneration.
“Arsenic contaminated groundwater in West Bengal is a major geological concern because a significant population in the area is affected by it,” said Ghatak. “Liver injury in patients with chronic arsenicosis is a major health concern in that region.”
After completing his PhD, Ghatak joined Ohio State University for his post-doctoral research. He started working on the role of microRNA in tissue injury, repair, and regeneration.
Ghatak explained, “The site of tissue injury is a cradle for cell plasticity that, if we properly investigate can contribute a lot to the understanding of fundamental mechanisms involved in the process of tissue regeneration.”
During his post-doctoral research, Ghatak developed an interest in the application of nanotechnology in regenerative medicine. He was involved in the development of a novel non-invasive non-viral tissue nanotransfection platform for in vivo cell reprogramming. He also developed novel nanoparticles formulations using the Food and Drug Administration approved materials that can effectively deliver oligonucleotides (small RNA molecules that function in the regulation of gene expressions) in living organisms, to specific cell types.
“Presently, my research looks at how cells communicate in tissue via exosome (small lipid vesicles released by cells), the endogenous nanoparticles,” said Ghatak. “A proper understanding of the complexity of these vesicles produced by an assortment of cell population in tissue during natural developmental processes can be harnessed to facilitate tissue regeneration that could represent an exciting new phase in medicine.”
