Our Team
Dr. Puja Sandbhor, PhD
Principal Investigator
Dr. Puja Sandbhor completed her Bachelor's degree in Pharmacy from Mumbai University in 2010, followed by a M.S in Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technology from the Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai, in 2012. She earned her Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering, focusing on the development of novel and cost-effective nanotherapeutics capable of penetrating the blood-brain barrier to target high-grade gliomas.
Under the mentorship of the late Prof. Rinti Banerjee at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, she pioneered biomimetic carriers for the spatial and temporal delivery of synergistic payloads across various biomedical applications, particularly in cancer treatment. Dr. Puja subsequently conducted postdoctoral research at the Institute for NanoBioTechnology, Johns Hopkins University, USA. Her current research interests revolve around understanding the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying tumor progression and metastasis, with a focus on improving therapeutic delivery and efficacy in hostile tumor microenvironments.
By combining nanotechnology and immuno-engineering approaches with advanced in-vivo imaging technologies, her lab explores the development of 3D organoids for personalized treatment strategies. Additionally, Dr. Puja is keenly interested in developing tools for early cancer diagnosis, as well as 3D bioprinting and organ-on-a-chip models to study the complexity of cancer evolution.
Her research underscores a multidisciplinary approach aimed at transforming cancer treatment paradigms through innovative therapeutic strategies and advanced biomedical technologies.
Lab Manager
To be updated..
Pranoti Palkar
Pranoti Palkar pursued her Master's Degree in Pharmaceutical Biotechnology at DY. Patil University, India, in 2023. Her master's dissertation research focused on nanomaterial-based dual-drug targeted delivery for effective glioblastoma therapy. In addition to her work in nanotechnology, Pranoti has a keen interest in the field of radiation biology.
After completing her Master's, Pranoti joined ACTREC, Tata Memorial Centre, as Research Fellow in the Department of Radiation Oncology. Driven by a desire to make a real-world impact, Pranoti's research interest evolved to encompass the field of immunology. In the research lab, she leads the in-vivo experiments on CAR-T cell therapy for treating multiple myeloma. Additionally, she is working on a project that focuses on Photo-dynamic therapy in combination with a synthetic compound for enhancing cytotoxicity against Glioblastoma.
Siddharth Mudliyar
Siddharth Mudliyar completed his Master's in Biotechnology from SIES college, Mumbai. He has worked on finding potential secretomic biomarkers in triple negative breast cancer from Nandini lab in KEM hospital. His areas of interest are the development of high-grade gliomas organoids and the identification of distinct functions for various cells and tumor environments within those organoids.
His work is focused on exploring ways to identify novel therapeutic targets for cancer treatment, with an emphasis on the tumor microenvironment and personalized medicine. His research interest also includes using CRISPR-Cas9 for gene editing to understand cancer progression.
Ishita Mathur
Ishita is a dedicated researcher passionate about advancing the understanding of cancer biology, with a specific focus on breast cancer and metastasis.Currently a Research Trainee in the Radiation Oncology Department at ACTREC, Ishita is engaged in a cutting-edge project that utilizes organoids to explore precision medicine approaches for treating this complex condition.
Holding an MTech Degree in Biotechnology from Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Ishita has a strong foundation in molecular and cellular biology, having previously worked on Delitto Perfetto and CRISPR-Cas9 to introduce and study neurodegenerative disease-causing mutations to investigate the role of Acyl CoA Oxidase in peroxisome function. This background has equipped her with the skills to investigate innovative treatment strategies.
Shubham Ghag
M.Sc. Biotechnology Dissertation Trainee
Shubham Ghag joined the Translational Nanomedicine and Bioengineering Lab in 2024 as a dissertation trainee. He is pursuing his M.Sc. in Biotechnology from Ramnarain Ruia Autonomous College, affiliated with Mumbai University.Shubhams research is dedicated to developing novel nano-platforms for brain cancer therapeutics, aiming to advance targeted treatment strategies.