Chandrima Shaha

Chandrima Shaha (born 14 October 1952) is an Indian biologist. , she is the J. C. Bose Chair Distinguished Professor at the Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Kolkata. She is the former Director and former Professor of Eminence at the National Institute of Immunology. She was the President of Indian National Science Academy (2020–22) and the Vice President (International Affairs) of the same academy (2016–2018). She is an elected fellow of the World Academy of Sciences, Indian National Science Academy, Indian Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Sciences and the West Bengal Academy of Science and Technology.

Education Shaha graduated from the University of Calcutta and completed her doctoral research in 1980 from the Indian Institute of Chemical Biology and holds a Ph.D. from the University of Calcutta. For her post doctoral work, she was at the University of Kansas Medical Centre from 1980 to 1982 and then from 1983 to 1984 at the Population Council, New York City.

Professional life Shaha has served as Council Member for the National Academy of Sciences, Allahabad (2016–2017), Indian Academy of Sciences, Bangalore (2013–2015) and a member of 2018 leadership conclave. She is currently serving as the Member of the Governing Council- ICMR: Executive Council – University of Hyderabad: Governing Council – InStem, Bangalore: Scientific Advisory Group – ICMR: Scientific Advisory Committee – National Institute of Animal Biotechnology: Scientific Advisory Committee – Rajiv Gandhi Center for Biotechnology, Trivandrum. She served on the Scientific Advisory Committee, Life Science Research Board, DRDO (2012–2016).

Research interests

Shaha's research programme is geared towards the understanding of cell death pathways and cellular defense processes in unicellular and multicellular organisms that have important bearing on designing of therapies for various diseases. Kala-azar, a neglected tropical disease remains a huge problem being endemic in certain parts of the country and is caused by the Leishmania parasite. Understanding of how parasite death occurs is important as successful killing of the parasite would reduce disease burden. The research demonstrated the ability of the Leishmania parasite to execute death phenotypes similar to metazoans and experimental evidence demonstrated the involvement of the single mitochondrion in apoptosis like death in one of the earliest eukaryotes. Host-parasite interaction studies show the involvement of Bcl-2 proteins in parasite survival. Other studies with cells having high division index like cancer cells and mammalian germ cells provides insight into the various pathways that are triggered by stress and their functional relevance in cell survival.

Awards and honors Dr. SP Ray-Chaudhuri Memorial Lecture Award India (2023) Dr. SP Ray-Chaudhuri endowment Award Lecture, Society of Cell Biology, India for 2020 (2021). Biopharma Awards, Lifetime Achievement Award, 2021 D.P. Burma Memorial Lecture Award - 2019 Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Medal, INSA, 2019 Sectional President, Biological Sciences, National Academy of Sciences, 2017 Elected Council Member, National Academy of Sciences, Allahabad, 2016 Elected, Vice-president of the Indian National Science Academy, 2016 Sunday Standard Devi Award for Excellence in the field of science, 2015 Om Prakash Bhasin Award, 2015 Elected Fellow, The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS), Trieste, Italy, 2014 14th Pushpa Sriramachari Foundation Day Oration Award, ICMR, 2014 Prof. (Mrs.) Archana Sharma Memorial Award, National Academy of Sciences, 2013 Chandrakala Hora Memorial Medal, Indian National Science Academy, 2013 Dr. Darshan Ranganathan Memorial Award, Indian National Science Academy, 2010 Elected Fellow, Indian National Science Academy, Delhi, 2008 Elected Fellow, Indian Academy of Sciences, Bangalore, 2004 Department of Biotechnology 'Special Award' on the occasion of DNA discovery, 2003 Elected Fellow, The National Academy of Sciences, Allahabad, India 1999 Shakuntala Amirchand Award of Indian Council of Medical Research, New Delhi, 1992

Selected publications

Book Captured Moments: A Life of Shambhu Shaha by Chandrima Shaha, Seagull Publishers, Calcutta (2000).