Profile picture of: Upasana Ray
 

Institution

CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology


Infectious Diseases and Immunology

Room -115, CSIR-IICB Translational Research Unit Of Excellence, CN-6, Salt Lake, Sector – 5, Kolkata – 700091, West Bengal, India

Research Interests

Virology, Viral vaccine, host-pathogen interactions, virus like particle, SARS-CoV-2 spike, Dengue NS1

 

Topics to speak on:

virology, vaccine

Words of Wisdom

It’s a big world, keep exploring, be adventurous and discard fear

Biography

I have done my graduation and post graduation in Zoology from University of Delhi. After completing post-graduation, I was selected as a research scholar at Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore and I completed my PhD in the field of virology. As a PhD scholar I worked on host-virus interaction/ RNA-protein interaction in the field of Hepatitis C virus. I completed my PhD in 2012 and in March 2012 joined National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda for my post doctoral research. At NIH I worked in the field of virus like particle based vaccine engineering for polyomaviruses. Thereafter, I returned India and current leading my research group as a senior scientist at CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Kolkata, West Bengal. My primary areas of interests are SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and Dengue virus NS1 protein. I study the biology of these proteins and also try to target the same by vaccine designing and antivirals.
Other than my research, I have been involved in science outreach activities as a member of the Indian National Young academy of Science (INYAS). My extracurricular activities are long distance running, mountaineering and painting.

Awards

SERB POWER fellowship, Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), 2021

Early career research award. SERB, 2019

SERB Women Excellence Award. Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), 2019

INSA Medal for Young Scientists. Indian National Science Academy (INSA), 2015

Federal Technology Transfer Award. National Institutes of Health (NIH), 2014

Fellows Award for Research Excellence. NIH. 2013

Activities