Dr.V.Priyanka

Areas of Specialisation

• Human Molecular Genetics

• Genetics of Cardiovascular diseases and Periodontitis

Academic/Research studies:

• Principal Investigator for the project titled, “Association of cardiac remodeling with circulatory biomarkers; caveolin-3, growth differentiation factor-15 and suppressor of tumorigenicity in post-MI – An observational study”

• Cardiovascular risk prediction using standard and novel tools among adults visiting a tertiary care hospital in Chengalpet district – a cross-sectional study

• Thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) registry

• Utility of novel protein biomarker panel in patients with acute myocardial infarction – A prospective pilot study (Collaborative project with University of Geneva, Sweden) – Patient recruitment and data collection

• COVID-19 registry

• Identification of risk alleles associated with Diabetic Kidney Disease (DKD) using whole exome sequencing approach (ZIFO RnD solutions) – Patient recruitment and submission of electronic CRF.

Clinical trial:

An open label single arm clinical study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of psoramit ointment in patients suffering from mild to moderate psoriasis (Himalayas Drug company) -Data collection, CRF filling and study close out.

• Research Associateship (14th March 2019 to 7th June 2020) and Senior Research Fellowship (8th June 2018 to 13th March 2019) at SRIHER: Awarded by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) in the project entitled “Identification of differential microRNA expression as a shared genetic marker for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and periodontitis”. The aim of this study was to identify any differences in the pro- inflammatory cytokines and the selected microRNAs (miR-146a, miR-21, miR-133, miR-208a and miR-155) expression in periodontitis patients with or without ACVDs, which may suggest novel molecular pathways that this miRNA network may affect. The study proposed to identify potential candidate miRNAs as promising markers of ACVD associated periodontal disease, with the use of salivary miRNAs as a non-invasive method.

• Research Assistant (1st August 2017 to 7th June 2018) at SRIHER: Project entitled “Genetics of type 2 diabetes in India: Tamil Nadu Diabetes Family Genetics Study” funded by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Government of India. The work involved recruitment of study participants from an ethnic endogamous group from large families, collection of phenotypic information relating to type 2 diabetes (T2D) and its related cardiometabolic traits and information on environmental covariates; collection of blood samples from the families and processing the samples for genotyping analysis

• Senior Research Fellow (1st November 2012 to 31st March 2015) at SRIHER: Department of Science & Technology-SERB funded project the IL-1 gene polymorphisms and chronic periodontitis: Causal or Casual association?. The primary goal of this case- control study was to identify whether polymorphisms of the IL-1 gene cluster (IL-1A, IL-1B and IL-1RN VNTR) contribute to periodontitis susceptibility in an Indian population. In addition, the functionality of the examined polymorphisms was assessed. As an extension of the project functionality analysis of the polymorphisms using the gene expression studies was performed

• Junior Executive (October 2011 to July 2012) at Vision Research Foundation, Sankara Nethralaya. Routine molecular diagnostics; processing and analysis of samples using PCR, DNA sequencing and immunoflourescence methods

Technical expertise

Advanced molecular methods:

• DNA sequencing, Real time PCR (Gene expression, MicroRNA expression, Methylation and Allelic Discrimination), Bisulphite conversion and DNA methylation analysis using MSP-PCR. Certified hands-on training in flow cytometry and Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) using MiSeq Illumina platform.

Basic techniques:

• DNA& RNA Isolation, Primer designing, Polymerase chain reaction (Allele specific, RFLP, Nested).

Bioinformatics and Statistical tools:

• Data and information retrieval from databases like Pubmed and Gene expression Omnibus, gene dataset analysis and interpretation, microRNA identification using web-interfaces (miRNet 2.0, TargetScan, miRdB, miRWalk, miRTarBase), target prediction, gene enrichment analysis and protein-protein interaction network visualization, gene sequencing data retrieval, mutation detection using Seqscape and Chromas. Statistical softwares like SPSS, Epi info v7, Multidimensionality Reduction analysis (MDR)

Cell culture techniques:

• Establishment of human gingival fibroblast (HGF) culture (tissue explant culture) and maintenance of cell lines.

Scientific writing and editing:

• Experience in writing research papers, review articles (narrative and systematic reviews), proofreading and manuscript editing, grant/proposal writing, research and academic projects.

Papers Published in Journals

• Venugopal P, Logu K, Balakrishnan K, Subbaih U, Damal Kandadai S, George M. Differential Expression of Caveolin-3, Suppression of Tumorigenicity 2, and Growth Differentiation Factor- 15 Genes and Their Association with Acute Myocardial Infarction: A Cross-Sectional Study in a Multi-Specialty Hospital in Tamil Nadu. Genetic Testing and Molecular Biomarkers. 2023 Mar 1;27(3):109-19
• Venugopal P, George M, Kandadai SD, Balakrishnan K, Uppugunduri CR. Prioritization of microRNA biomarkers for a prospective evaluation in a cohort of myocardial infarction patients based on their mechanistic role using public datasets. Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine. 2022 Nov 3;9:981335.
• Priyanka V, Karthikeyan B, Sriram DKS, Melvin G. Usefullness of MicroRNAs in Predicting the Clinical Outcome of Patients with Acute Myocardial Infarction during Follow-up: A Systematic Review. Genetic Testing and Molecular Biomarkers. 2022; 26(5):277-289.
• Sindhu S, Priyanka V, Sriram DKS, Melvin G. Evaluation of adenoviral vector-based vaccines for prevention of COVID-19 – An overview. Asian Journal of Pharmaceutical and Clinical Research. 2022:6-16
• Vettriselvi V, Juan CLA, Rector A, Deepika R, Teena K, Umarani R, Amaresh RP, Surendra KS, Sailesh L, Krishna KS, Mahaboob VS, Roy GR, Priyanka V, et al. Burden of Type 2 Diabetes and Associated Cardiometabolic Traits and Their Heritability Estimates in Endogamous Ethnic Groups of India: Findings From the INDIGENIUS Consortium. Frontiers in Endocrinology. 2022:397.
• Priya SA, Kavitha S, Venugopal P* , Sriram DK, George M. Can mRNA vaccines turn the tables during the COVID-19 pandemic? Current status and challenges. Clinical Drug Investigation. 2021:1-1. (* Joint first author)
• Venugopal P, Sriram DK, George M. Novel and re-emerging zoonotic viral diseases in India during last two decades: An overview. Journal of Pharmaceutical Research International. 2021:82-93.
• Priyanka V, Teena K, Vamsi L, Suresh RR, Selvaraj R, Samyukta H, Vettriselvi V. Differential expression of microRNAs let‐7a, miR‐125b, miR‐100 and miR‐21 and interaction with NF‐kB pathway genes in periodontitis pathogenesis. Journal of Cellular Physiology. 2018; 233 (8) :5877-84
• Venugopal P, Lavu V, Rao S, Venkatesan V. Association of microRNA-125a and microRNA- 499a polymorphisms in chronic periodontitis in a sample south Indian population: A hospital- based genetic association study. Gene. 2017; 631:10-5.
• Venugopal P, Lavu V, RangaRao S, Venkatesan V. Evaluation of a panel of single- nucleotide polymorphisms in miR-146a and miR-196a2 genomic regions in patients with chronic periodontitis. Genetic Testing and Molecular Biomarkers. 2017;21(4):228-235.
• Lavu V, Venkatesan V, Venugopal P, Lakkakula BV, Paul SF, Peria K, Rao SR. Clinical relevance of cytokines gene polymorphisms and protein levels in gingival cervical fluid from chronic periodontitis patients. Iranian Journal of Immunology.2017;1;14(1):51
• Lavu V, Venkatesan V, Bhaskar L, Priyanka V, Kumarasamy P, et al. Polymorphic regions in Fc gamma receptor and tumor necrosis factor-α genes and Susceptibility to Chronic Periodontitis in a Cohort From South India. Journal of Periodontology.2016;87(8):914-922
• Swaminathan M, Ganesh V, Koshy T, Venugopal P, Paul S, Venkatesan V. A study on the role of estrogen receptor gene polymorphisms in female infertility. Genetic Testing and Molecular Biomarkers.2016;20(11):692-695
• Lavu V, Venkatesan V, Venkata Kameswara Subrahmanya Lakka B, Venugopal P, Paul S, Rao S. Polymorphic regions in the interleukin-1 gene and susceptibility to chronic periodontitis: A genetic association study. Genetic Testing and MolecularBiomarkers.2015;19(4):175-181
• Sumitha R, Swarna Raman, Priyanka V and Deepa Parvathi V. In vivo and in vitro genotoxicity analysis ofsilver nitrate. Drosophila information services. 2014;96:40-46
• Deepa Parvathi. V, Priyanka V, Swarna. R, Akshaya .S. Genotoxicity of benzaldehyde in the fruitfly, Drosophila melanogaster using the wing somatic mutation and recombination test (SMART) and protein profiling. International Journal of Medical and Clinical Research. 2012; 3(6): 195-198
• Deepa Parvathi V, Priyanka V, Tumor induction studies in Drosophila melanogaster using Tryptophan. International Journal of Medical and Clinical Research. 2011;2(1):23-28

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