Thsti - Translational Health Science and Technology Institute

MSc. Genetics, South Campus, Delhi University
Ph.D., Center for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad
Post-doctoral fellow Harvard Medical School, Boston. USA

Dr Pallavi Kshetrapal is a molecular geneticist who obtained her PhD degree from Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad and post-doctoral research training from Harvard Medical School Boston, USA. The focus of her lab is to study molecular pathways that are clinically relevant in adverse pregnancy. Using a range of different “omics’ approaches, studies that are described below, the lab is focused towards identification of biomarkers from human circulating blood and from human placenta that can be utilised for development of translational modalities against adverse pregnancies.

Biomarker discovery for prediction of pregnancy complications and adverse pregnancy outcomes

Dr. Pallavi Kshetrapal’s lab is currently involved in identification and validation of biomarkers circulating in maternal bodily fluids associated to adverse pregnancy outcomes. The methodology involved utilises agnostic multi-pronged “omics” approach. Identified molecular signatures would then be validated and developed as potential biomarker/s for determination of risk assessment in a pregnant mothers. A classification algorithm based on various clinical and molecular determinant/s from mutltivariate data generated in a longitudinal cohort study may lead to generation of better models of risk stratification for assisting clinical interventions.

Understand the cellular and biochemical pathways functioning in the human placenta for maintaining a healthy pregnancy

Placenta is a feto-maternal organ and is known to govern the outcome of pregnancy. In another ongoing study her lab intends to emphasize the use of circulating placenta-specific extracellular vesicles for diagnosing the adverse pregnancy outcome. These vesicles are being studied to identify the enveloped cargo capable of transducing signals from and to the fetus for healthy growth and development. Dr. Pallavi Kshetrapal’s lab is interested in identification and validation of placenta-specific markers in maternal circulation in normal and complicated pregnancies. They plan to use in vitroapproaches to highlight the putative utility of such tissue-specific extracellular vesicles (e.g. exosomes) in the prediction of adverse pregnancy outcomes and for treatment monitoring by studying the change in the placental function as the pregnancy progresses.

DR.PALLAVI KSHETRAPAL

Ph.D.

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR

Publication