Advanced Lecture Series for Undergraduates

 

Theme: Cancer Biology

 

7th February to 27th March 2016, NCBS, Bangalore

 

An advanced lecture series in cancer biology will take place on NCBS campus, Bangalore.

Classes will be held every Sunday from 7th February to 27th March 2016, from 9:30am to 12:30pm.

The target audience is students currently enrolled in bachelor level courses (B.S., B.Sc., B.Tech.) with a strong interest in fundamental research. The minimum biology experience expected is 12th standard/ II PUC.

Classes would be led by postdoctoral researchers of NCBS and will broadly cover aspects of cancer biology such as causes, progression, detection and therapy. Each topic will have two components: 1) a lecture about the topic and 2) a paper discussion, also called journal club, or a scientific activity. Details on the topics of the lectures and the speakers will be updated in due course.

Please note that the format of this course is discussion-based and not lecture-based. It is aimed at understanding biology from a research perspective. Students will be expected to read provided materials and engage in discussions during the classes. The journal club will be an interactive session: a research paper will be provided, students are required to read it, and come prepared to present data from the paper and discuss the results.

In order to receive a certificate, attendance in all classes would be mandatory.

Participation will be restricted to 30 students and priority would be given to 3rd year BSc or equivalent students. Registrations are now closed. Those selected will be emailed by 20th January 2016. Please note that all communications will only be via email.

For queries please email ncbs.outreach@gmail.com

Speakers

Archit

I have completed my MSc from University of Pune in 2013, which I achieved through a dissertation project in IISER, Pune, which involved dissecting the mechanisms of nuclear organization and epigenetics. Following this, I worked at ACTREC, Mumbai as a Research Fellow where I studied the role of Hippo signalling pathway in regulating the cell cycle in human as well as Drosophila glial cells. I am currently working in inSTEM on the fate and functions of progenitors in the Drosophila trachea.

Dhananjay

I have completed my MSc from TIFR, Mumbai in Neural Development in mice, PhD from UTSW in Chromatin modifications in Drosophila germline stem cell maintenance. Currently, I am studying the role of nutrition in Drosophila muscle development in Vijay's lab.

Gnaneshwar

I have obtained my PhD in Medicine from University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Japan in 2014, where I have worked in Dr. Kenmochi's Lab to study cancer and diseases caused by ribosomal defects using zebrafish. I am currently a postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Vatsala's Lab at NCBS-TIFR, Bangalore, India, where I have started my work on studying how neuronal gap junctions make way for synaptogenesis using zebrafish as a model.

Mamatha

I have completed my PhD from Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore in Cancer Biology. I am currently pursuing my postdoctoral research at inStem, NCBS. My area of research includes screening small molecule inhibitors to disrupt BRCT mediated protein interactions.

Rital

I got my Doctorate in the field of Regeneration Biology from University of Dayton, OH. My doctoral work involved studying the mechanism of lens regeneration in newt. My current research as a post-doctoral fellow at inStem involves studying the biology of lung repair in mouse.

Sanchari

I have completed my PhD from Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore in Structural Biology. I am currently pursuing my postdoctoral research at NCBS. My area of research includes using X-ray crystallography for studying different protein systems.

Sathya

I have completed my PhD from University of Cincinnati, US. During my PhD, I worked on synthesizing carbohydrate-containing macromolecules for gene therapy applications. Currently, I am working as a Wellcome Trust/DBT India Alliance Early Career fellow in Instem, Bangalore. Here, I am involved in Understanding the Structure and function of Eukaryotic Rieske Oxygenase enzymes that are involved in the Steroid Hormone Metabolic pathway of C. elegans and D. melanogaster.

Suman

A physics graduate, and a biologist by accident. Currently engaged in postdoctoral research on signal estimation in biology, as well as bacterial cell cycle and growth regulation.

 

Broad lecture topics

  1. Archit: Cell cycle and DNA repair

  2. Dhananjay: Signalling pathways

  3. Gnaneshwar: Ribososme biogenesis, assembly and translation

  4. Rital: Tumor Microenvironment

  5. Sanchari: Cancer and protein crystallography

  6. Sathya: Cancer Theranostics

  7. Mamatha: Cancer therapy

  8. Suman: Theoretical approaches to understanding cance

Getting to NCBS

From IISc, Malleshwaram: Take the free shuttle to NCBS (timings are here)

We are located in the UAS, GKVK campus on Bellary road. There is a BMTC stop right outside the GKVK gate. Most buses going to the airport or Yelahanka that plies on Bellary Road make a stop here. However, the walk to NCBS is about 2Kms from the GKVK gate and transport/autos do not typically like to come inside.