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 an M.S. in Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technology from the Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai, in 2012. She earned her Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay under the mentorship of the late Prof. Rinti Banerjee. Her doctoral research focused on developing novel, cost-effective nanotherapeutics capable of penetrating the blood-brain barrier for the treatment of high-grade gliomas.
During her Ph.D., Dr. Puja pioneered biomimetic carriers for the spatial and temporal delivery of synergistic payloads across biomedical applications, with a special emphasis on cancer therapy. She subsequently pursued postdoctoral research at the Institute for NanoBioTechnology, Johns Hopkins University, USA.
Currently, Dr. Puja's research is centered on immunotherapy and precision oncology, leveraging the interface of nanotechnology and immuno-engineering to design
next-generation therapeutics. Her lab explores the molecular and cellular mechanisms driving tumor progression and metastasis, with a strong focus on overcoming hostile
tumor microenvironments to enhance therapeutic efficacy.
By integrating nanotechnology with immunotherapy and advanced in-vivo imaging, her group is developing 3D patient-derived organoids and organ-on-a-chip models for personalized cancer therapy.
She is also actively engaged in creating tools for early cancer diagnosis and employing 3D bioprinting to study the complexity of cancer evolution
In addition to academic research, Dr. Puja's lab works on industry-oriented translational problems aimed at addressing unmet clinical needs, with a vision to accelerate the bench-to-bedside journey of innovative therapeutics and technologies. Her multidisciplinary approach bridges engineering, biology, and medicine, with the overarching goal of transforming cancer treatment paradigms through innovative therapeutic strategies and translational 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.
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.
Saptaparna
Saptaparna completed her M.Tech in Biotechnology from Vellore Institute of Technology, Her academic focus includes exploring tumor progression and therapy resistance in aggressive cancers such as breast cancer and gliomas. As a Research Trainee in the Translational Nanomedicine & Bioengineering Lab, at ACTREC, she is involved in mammalian cell culture and in vivo modelling to study tumor behaviour and treatment outcomes.
Bhumika
Bhumika holds a Master's degree in Microbiology from North Maharashtra University, Jalgaon, and brings a strong foundation in microbiology and nanotechnology. Currently, she is developing eco-friendly nanoparticles for therapeutic applications. Her focus lies in merging nanotechnology with sustainability to create impactful healthcare solutions.
Pragati
Pragati is pursuing her doctoral research at ACTREC, Tata Memorial Centre, under the joint supervision of Dr. Vikram Gota (CP), Dr. Jayant Goda (Radiology), and Dr. Puja Sandbhor (TNB). She earned her M.Sc. in Biotechnology from The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, where she worked on nano-based delivery of calf thymus DNA and 5-fluorouracil in cancer cell lines.
After qualifying the Joint CSIR-UGC NET examination, Pragati joined ACTREC as a PhD student in the Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Dept of Radiation Oncology. Her doctoral research is centered on elucidating the dynamics of the tumor microenvironment in high-grade gliomas, with a particular focus on uncovering mechanisms of therapy resistance and identifying potential targets for precision therapeutics.
Sejal Mhatre
Sejal completed her Master's in Medicinal Chemistry from NIPER, Ahmedabad, where she worked on the synthesis and characterization of novel small molecules with potential anti-cancer properties. With a strong interest in the interplay of chemistry and biology, she is passionate about rational molecular design and its role in influencing disease pathways. She aspires to apply her interdisciplinary expertise to contribute to innovative therapeutic strategies in cancer research.
Tanmay
Tanmay holds a Master’s in Biotechnology with expertise in nanotechnology, cancer research, and computational biology. His dissertation involved designing a CNT-based nano-biosensor for rapid mycotoxin detection. At IIT-Kanpur, he gained experience in industrial-scale production of bio-plastics, bio-keratin, and monoclonal antibodies, and also contributed to developing an early cancer detection tool using biomarker and gene expression studies. At TNB Lab, he is advancing personalized therapy through organoid development integrated with omics profiling.