Research
Past Projects 1975-2013
- Vasant J Sheth Memorial Foundation – 2013 – Kaula Bundar : A Prototype for active tuberculosis case finding in Mumbai – Rs..433,800.
- Bombay Community Public Trust – 2012 – 2013 (7 months) - Assessment of tuberculosis in correctional and congregate settings in Mumbai – Rs.250,000.
- Indian Council of Medical Research – 2012 – 2014 (2 years) – Socio-cultural features of leprosy for treatment and control in primary health services in India – Rs.2,864,000.
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London – 2012 – 2013 (7 months) – Neuropathic pain in leprosy study – Rs.497,000.
- Norway Research Council, Norway – 2012 – 2015 (4 years) - Too-India-Too much, too less, too bad? – Adapting to climate change impacts on water quantity and quality in the drylands of Maharashtra, India” – NOK 1,443,533
- Novartis Foundation, Switzerland – 2011 – Childhood leprosy in India – Rs.300,000.
- Indian Council of Medical Research – 2011 – 2014 (3 years) – Occurrence of drug resistance among relapse cases, poor responders and new cases of leprosy – A Multicentric study in India – Rs.6,369,347
- Jamsetji Tata Trust – 2011 – 2013 (3 years) – Utilization of individual household kitchen gardens and other interventions to improve family nutritional levels in Melghat – Rs.5,491,000.
- Royal Tropical Institute, The Netherlands – 2011 – 2015 (5 years) – Treatment of early neuropathy in leprosy (TENLEP) trials - € 99,489.
- Government of Maharashtra - 2009 – Implementation of Selective Special Drive (SSD) in Gadchiroli, Maharashtra – Rs.765,000.
- Swiss Emmaus Leprosy Relief Work – India 2007 – 2008 (18 months) – Detection of previously undetected leprosy cases in a defined rural and urban area of Maharashtra, Western India – Rs.538,611.
- Indian Council of Medical Research – 2007-2010 (3 years) – Development of a herbal package with antidiarrhoeal activity and its popularization in a rural community - Rs.2,769,083.
- Department of Biotechnology 2007—2012 (5 years) – Recognized as Virtual Centre of Excellence for Tuberculosis Research: Mechanisms of introduction, selection, maintenance and modulation of drug resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis through a functional genomics approach – Rs.22,221,000.
- Indian Council of Medical Research – 2006-2010 (4 years) – Underlying mechanism/s and precipitating factor/s involved in reversal reactions (RR) and nerve damage in leprosy. – Rs.2,993,654.
- Sardar Patel University, Vallabh Vidyanagar – 2005-2007 (2 years) – Testing of anti-malarial activity of herbal preparation in the mouse model – Rs.250,000.
- The Wellcome Trust (UK) – 2004 -2007 (4 years) – Construction of an epidemiological framework for MDR- TB in urban and rural areas of Western India - £161,078
- The Industrial Credit and Investment Corporation of India Limited – (One Time Grant) – Instrumentation grant for MDR-TB project – Rs.350,000.
- Narotam Sekhsaria Foundation – 2003-2004 (18 months) – An integrated biosocial approach for control of water-borne diseases in a rural community in Western Maharashtra – Rs.900,000.
- Tata Education Trust – 2003-2007 (4 years) – Study of the effect of BCG immunotherapy as an adjunct to chemotherapy on the M. leprae persisters and peripheral nerve functions – Rs.3,750,000.
- Department of Science and Technology - 2003-2006 (3 years) - Deciphering the role of M. leprae antigens and host derived factors in the induction of cytoskeletal protein abnormality and neural dysfunction using an experimental model depicting silent nerve damage in leprosy - Rs.1,500,000.
- Indian Council of Medical Research – 2003-2005 (2 years) – To study the potential of Buddemeyer type radiorespirometric assay based on CO2 evolution from (1-14C) palmitic acid by M .leprae as a rapid index of viability – Rs.786,400.
- Department of Science and Technology - 2002-2004 (2 years) - The documentation, study, propagation and utilization of local medicinal plants with antidiarrhoeal activity in the Parinche Valley (Maharashtra) - Rs.1,410,000.
- American Leprosy Mission - 2001-2006 (5 years) - Effect of corticosteroid usage on the bacterial killing, clearance and nerve damage in leprosy: A prospective cohort study - $105,000.
- The Wellcome Trust - 2000-2001 (6 months) - Training and technology transfer in molecular techniques to study M. tuberculosis strain variations - £ 7,220.
- DFID India - 1999 (3 months) - Maharashtra rural water supply and sanitation project: Health impact assessment study - Rs.1,156,050.
- Leprosy Mission India and J.R.D. Tata Educational Trust - 1998-2000 (2 years) – Significance of recurrence of skin and nerve lesions after MDT in MB leprosy – Rs.1,200,000.
- Project Concern International - 1998 (1 year) - Upgrading of equipment and facilities for laboratory testing of drug resistance in leprosy patients - $ 23,702.
- Bombay Community Public Trust - 1996-1998 (2 years) - Provision of comprehensive laboratory services for TB control in Bombay - Rs.600,000.
- The Industrial Credit and Investment Corporation of India Limited - 1996-1998 (2 years) - Optimizing treatment of HIV related tuberculosis - Rs.800,000.
- Department of Science and Technology - 1996-1999 (3 years) - Structural and biochemical basis of axonal atrophy in leprosy - Rs.1,280,050.
- The John D and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation - 1995-2000 (5 years) - Reproductive tract problems in rural and urban women and their implications in HIV infection - $264,782.
- Lady Tata Memorial Trust - 1995-1997 (2½ years) - Studies on structural and biochemical aspects of axonal atrophy in leprosy - Rs.78,000.
- The Industrial Credit and Investment Corporation of India Limited - 1995 -1996 (1 year) - Infrastructure for diagnosis and testing of multidrug resistance in tuberculosis - Rs.750,000.
- Sir Dorabji Tata Trust and Sir Ratan Tata Trust - 1994-1995 (2 years) - Evaluation of ayurvedic treatment for the control of diarrhoeal diseases - Rs.330,000.
- Lupin Laboratories Limited - 1993-1994 (17 months) - Evaluation of anti-leprosy action of "compound IB" in the mouse leprosy model - Rs.591,164.
- TSir Dorabji Tata Trust - 1993 (6 months) - An enquiry into the utilization of ayurvedic health care with special reference to diarrhoeal patients - Rs.30,000.
- Gulbarga University - 1991-1992 (15 months) - In vivo and in vitro screening of compounds from Gulbarga University for anti-M. leprae potential - Rs.50,000.
- German Leprosy Relief Association - 1991-1992 (2 years) - To develop a cascade test system for locating "susceptible" individuals for paucibacillary and multibacillary type of leprosy in close contacts of leprosy patients - Rs.629,000.
- NESTEC - 1991-1992 (2 years) - Deoxyfructo serotonin (DFS) creatinine sulphate - Preclinical in vitro and in vivo assessment of its efficacy as an anti-leprosy drug – Rs.340,000.
- NORAD (Under the Indo-Norwegian Institute Collaboration Scheme) - 1991-1994 (3 years) - Isolation, characterization and use of secretory mycobacterial antigens for assessment of multidrug therapy in leprosy and tuberculosis - Rs.2,700,000.
- Indian Council of Medical Research - 1990 (1 year) - Strategy for a possible new vaccine against leprosy: use of a gene product - Rs.100,000.
- Sir Dorabji Tata Fellowship - 1990 (1 year) - Mycobacterial antigen presentation by macrophages - Rs.5,000.
- Indian Council of Medical Research - 1989-1990 (2 years) - Role of ROI in killing of M.leprae in cells of leprosy patients and the possibility of modulation of ROI in deficient cells of the host - Rs.87,000.
- Department of Biotechnology - 1989-1991 (3 years) - Development and field adaptation of a subunit/recombinant DNA protein as a vaccine for leprosy – Rs.2,500,000.
- LEPRA - 1989-1991 (2 years) - Functional and morphological study of peripheral nerves in leprosy following MDT in paucibacillary and multibacillary cases - £ 22,000.
- The Wellcome Trust - 1989-1991 (2 years) - Effect of macrophages and extracellular matrix proteins on Schwann cell response to M. leprae infection - £ 54,000.
- German Leprosy Relief Association - 1988-1990 (2 years) - An immunodiagnostic test system for follow-up of patients under multidrug therapy - $ 35,000.
- Department of Science and Technology - 1988-1990 (3 years) - Mechanisms of peripheral nerve damage in leprosy and approaches for its prevention and treatment - Rs.1,465,105.
- NESTEC - 1987-1989 (2 years) - DFS creatinine sulphate, preclinical in vitro and in vivo assessment of its efficacy as an anti-leprosy drug - Rs.134,000.
- Department of Science and Technology - 1986-1989 (3 years) - Molecular biology of leprosy infection and development of immune modulators for immuno-therapy as well as possible application of recombinant DNA techniques for large scale production of such immuno-modulators - Rs.487,000.
- Indian Council of Medical Research - 1986-1988 (2 years) - A field trial of the value of macrophage EA rosetting as an in vitro method for screening of drug resistance/sensitivity in lepromatous leprosy - Rs.81,800.
- German Leprosy Relief Association - 1986 (1 year) - An immunodiagnostic test system for follow-up of patients under multidrug therapy - $ 12,000.
- THELEP/WHO - 1986-1987 (6 months) - Initial grant for: An in vitro method of screening for sensitivity and resistance to anti-leprosy drugs using the Schwann cell model - $ 5,000.
- German Leprosy Relief Association - 1985-1987 (3 years) - Determination of anti-M. leprae activity of new test compounds by rapid in vitro assays - $ 34,800.
- The Wellcome Trust - 1985-1987 (2 years) - Role of cell mediated immunity in nerve damage in leprosy: An in vitro study with special reference to the Schwann cell - $ 25,000.
- Indo-US - 1984-1986 (2 years) - Determining the antigenic and biochemical phenotypes of mononuclear phagocytes in blood and tissues of leprosy patients - Rs.125,000.
- Indo-US - 1984-1985 (2 years) - Characterization of the specific phenolic glycolipid from human derived M. leprae - Rs.130,170.
- IMMLEP/WHO - 1984-1985 (2 years) - Role of macrophages in defective immunity in leprosy - $ 32,000.
- Indian Council of Medical Research - 1982-1985 (3 years) - Studies on metabolism of M. leprae - Rs.204,471.
- PL-480 - 1982-1985 (3 years) - Use of biochemical and radioisotope methods for developing improved techniques for in vitro detection of drug resistance and screening of new drugs for leprosy - Rs.720,355.
- Indian Council of Medical Research - 1982-1984 (2 years) - Macrophage mediated in vitro tests for screening immunomodulating mycobacterial strains - Rs.125,000.
- THELEP/WHO - 1978-1979 (2 years) - Study of bacterial load and viability of M. leprae in human nerves - $ 5,700.
- IMMLEP/WHO – 1978-1979 (2 years) – In vitro interaction between macrophages, lymphocytes and M. leprae - $ 6,000.