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Dr Geetha Vasanthakumar
PhD (Microbiology)
geetha@manipaldubai.com
Experience

Dr. Geetha Vasanthakumar, Associate Professor of the Department of Biotechnology, received her post-doctoral training in the field of cellular and molecular biology from The National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, USA.  She has more than 15 years of research and 10 years of teaching experience in the United States.  She has served as a peer review committee member for the American Heart Association, National Institutes of Health study section and Birmingham Kidney Foundation.  Dr. Vasanthakumar won an outstanding scientific award from the Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) for her contribution to Science in SVG.  Her experience includes teaching at top notch universities such as University of Alabama at Birmingham, Emory University School of Medicine and Washington University School of Medicine in US.  Dr. Vasanthakumar has also worked with world renowned biotech companies such as Monsanto, Southern Research Institute at Birmingham, and Pharma/Pfizer in the United States.  She has published more than 20 research articles in peer-reviewed journals and presented research papers at International Conferences in US.  Dr. Vasanthakumar also contributed in various books and patents (Pharmacia/Pfizer & Monsanto) in the area of Molecular Biology, Oncology and Bioinformatics.  She was successful in obtaining funds from the National Institutes of Health and The World Health Organization in Switzerland.  After joining Manipal University, she has initiated a collaborative research with Joslin Diabetes Center, DHA and Al Wasl Hospital to study polymorphism in Arab diabetic population.

Areas of Interest in teaching
Teaching Interest: At Manipal University Dubai, Dr. Vasanthakumar is teaching Microbiology for undergraduate and Molecular Biotechniques and Toxicology for Postgraduate Program.
 
Research Interest: Oncology, Pharmacogenomics, Bioinformatics.
Top 5 research publications/ Projects

 


Selected Publications in peer reviewed journals

1. Vasanthakumar et al 2000 – 2009 – Two patents published and two patents being published

 

2. White, EL., Ross, LJ., Davis,RL., Zywno-Van Ginkel S., Vasanthakumar, G., Borhani DW. (2000). The two toxoplasma gondii hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase isozymes form heterotetramers. J. Biol. Chem: 275, 19218-23.

 

3. Vasanthakumar, G., Sabrina van Ginkel., Gregory Parish. (1994). Isolation and sequencing of a cDNA encoding the hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyl-transferase from T. gondii. Gene; 147, 153-154.

 

4. Wilkoff, L.J.; Dulmadge, E.A.; Vasanthakumar, G.; Donahue, J. (1993).  Etoposide-resistant human colon and lung adenocarcinoma cell lines exhibit sensitivity to homoharringtonine.  Cancer Chemother. & Pharmacol., 33: 149-153.

 

5. Vasanthakumar, Geetha (1992) Slot Blot Technique: Principles and Applications. Chapter in: Advances in Genome Biology, pp. 115 – 138.


 
6. Waud, W.R.; Vasanthakumar, G.; Harrison, S.D.; Laster, W.R.; Griswold, D.P., Jr. (1991).  Antitumor drug cross-resistance in vivo in a cis-platin-resistant murine P388 leukemia.  Biochemical and Molec. Pharmacol. 6: 313.

 

7. Vansanthakumar, G.; Davis, R.L.; Sullivan, M.A.; Donahue, J. (1990).  Cloning and expression of a hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyl transferase cDNA from Plasmodium falciparum in E. coli.  Gene 91: 63-69.

 

8. Vansanthakumar, G.; Davis, R.L.; Sullivan, M.A.; Donahue, J.P. (1989).  Nucleotide sequence of cDNA clone for hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase from Plasmodium falciparum. Nucleic Acid Research. 17: 8382.

 

9. Vansanthakumar, G.; Ahmed, N.K. (1989).  Modulation of drug resistance in a daunorubicin resistant subline with oligonucleoside methylphosphonates. Cancer Communications 1: 225-232.

 

10. Vasanthakumar, G.; Manjunath, R.; Mukherjee, A.B.; Schiffmann, E. (1988).  Inhibition of phagocyte chemotaxis by uteroglobin, an inhibitor of blastocyst rejection.  Biochem. Pharmacol. 37: 389-394.

 

11. Ahmed, N.K.; Vasanthakumar, G. (1987).  Characterization of daunorubicin resistance in K562 leukemia cells lacking daunorubicin reductase activity.  Eur. J. Cancer Clin. Oncol. 23: 1329-1336.

 

12. Vasanthakumar, G.; Ahmed, N.K. (1986).  Contribution of drug transport and metabolism to daunorubicin resistance in human myelocytic cells (ML1).  Cancer Chemother. Pharmacol. 18: 105-110.

 

13. Vasanthakumar, G.; Ahmed, N.K. (1986).  Comparative uptake retention and cytotoxicity of daunorubicin in human myeloid cells.  Biochem. Pharm. 35: 1185-1190.

 

14. Vasanthakumar, G.; Ahmed, N. (1985).  Uptake and metabolism of daunorubicin by human myelocytic cells.  Cancer Chemother. Pharmacol. 15: 35-39.

 

15. Schiffmann, E.; Vasanthakumar, G.; Hirata, F.; Pencev, D.; Mato, J.; Garcia-Castro, I.; Chiang, P.K.; Manjunath, R.; Mukherjee, A. (1984).  Phospholipid metabolism and regulation of leukocyte chemotaxis.  In:  Kay, A.B., Asthma III, Austin and Lichtenstone.

 

16. Hirata, F.; Notsu, Y.; Matsuda, K.; Vasanthakumar, G.; Schiffmann, E.; Wong, T-W.; Goldberg, A.R. (1984).  Inhibition of leukocyte chemotaxis by Glu-Glu-Glu-Glu-Tyr-Pro-Met-Gly and Leu-Ile-Glu-Asp-Asn-Glu-Tyr-Thr-Ala-Arg-Gln-Gly. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 118: 682-690.

 

17. Warabi, H.; Venkat, K.; Vasanthakumar, G.; Liotta, L.A.; Brownstein, M.; Schiffmann, E. (1984).  Identification and partial characterization of a low molecular weight inhibitor of leukotaxis from fibrosarcoma cells.  Cancer Res. 44: 915-922.

 

18. Terranova, V.P.; Liotta, L.A.; Vasanthakumar, G.; Thorgeirsson, U.; Siegal, G.P.; Schiffmann, E. (1983).  Role of laminin in the adherence and chemotaxis of neutrophils.  Fed. Proc. 42: 285.

 

19. Schiffmann, E.; Vasanthakumar, G.; Pencev, D.; Warabi, H.; Mato, J.; Hirata, F.; Brownstein, M.; Manjunath, R.; Mukherjee, A.; Liotta, L.; Terranova, V.P. (1983).  Adherence and regulation of leukotaxis.  Agents and Actions Supplements 12: 106-120.

 

20. Mato, J.M.; Pencev, D.; Vasanthakumar, G.; Schiffmann, E.; Pastan, I. (1983).  Inhibitors of endocytosis perturb phospholipid metabolism in rabbit neutrophils.  Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 80: 1929-1932.

 

21. Garcia, I.; Vasanthakumar, G.; Mato, H.; Schiffmann, E.; Chang, P. (1983).   Paradoxical effects of adenosine on neutrophil chemotaxis.  J. Biol. Chem. 258: 4345-4349, 1983.

 

22. Fliss, H.; Vasanthakumar, G.; Schiffmann, E.; Weissbach, H.; Brot, Nathan. (1982). Enzymatic reduction of oxidized chemotactic peptide.  Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 109: 194-201.

 

23. N. Renuka1, Hussaina Banu1, and Geetha Vasanthakumar (2011). Altered Gliclazide Metabolic Pathway and its Implications on Increased Therapeutic Response in CYP2C9*2: Molecular Dynamics and Simulation. Proceedings of Bioinformatics & Computational Biology, 2: 537 – 543.

 

24. Banu, H; Renuka,N; Vasanthakumar,G (2011). Reduced catalytic activity of human CYP2C9 natural alleles for gliclazide: Molecular dynamics simulation and docking studies. Biochemie 93: 1028 – 1036.

 

BOOKS CHAPTERS

1. Vasanthakumar, Geetha (1992) Slot Blot Technique: Principles and Applications. Chapter in: Advances in Genome Biology, Editor: Ram S. Verma. Volume 1, 1992, Unfolding the Genome. JAI PRESS, Connecticut, USA & JAI PRESS, London, England. pp. 115 – 138.

 

2. Schiffmann, E.; Vasanthakumar, G.; Hirata, F.; Pencev, D.; Mato, J.; Garcia-Castro, I.; Chiang, P.K.; Manjunath, R.; Mukherjee, A.  Phospholipid metabolism and regulation of leukocyte chemotaxis in: 

ASTHMA and ALLERGIC DISEASES: Physiology, Immunopharmacology and Treatment. (1998)

Editors: Marone, Gianni; Austen.K, Frank; Holgate, Stephen T; Kay, A,Barry; Lichtenstein, Lawrence M. Kay, A.B., Asthma III, Austin and Lichtenstone.Academic Press, San Diego, California, USA