A senior scientist of Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) G. R. Chandak has been appointed the Director, Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics (CDFD), a Centre of Excellence under the Department of Biotechnology (DBT).
Mr. Chandak is currently a group leader at the CCMB here. He received his MD in Biochemistry from Institute of Medical Sciences at Banaras Hindu University and doctorate in Biochemistry from Osmania University. His research interests include understanding the genetic and epigenetic basis of complex disorders of pancreas including chronic pancreatitis, type 2 diabetes and intermediate traits associated with them with a focus on fetal origins of adult common diseases, according to a press release from the CCMB on Friday.
His group has identified novel genes associated with chronic pancreatitis and showed its genetic basis to be different in Indians from that among the Europeans. His research suggests that genetic susceptibility of type 2 diabetes and associated intermediate traits such as obesity and insulin resistance may be differently regulated in Indians.
He has also led the way in creating awareness about preventing monogenic genetic disorders by prenatal diagnosis and genetic counselling using cost-effective protocols.
He has published close to 80 articles in peer-reviewed journals including Nature, Nature Genetics, Lancet, Gut, Diabetes, Diabetologia, J Medical Genetics and authored a number of book chapters.
He is recipient of Andhra Pradesh Scientist Award from AP Council for Science and Technology and is a Fellow of Andhra Pradesh Akademi of Sciences. He is also an Adjunct Group Leader at Genome Institute of Singapore.
