Dr. Shilpa B M

Assistant Professor

She holds a Ph D degree from National Institute for Mental Health and Neuro-Sciences (NIMHANS) Bangalore with CSIR fellowship. She has completed her Masters in Biotechnology from University of Mysore. She started her research journey working with neuro-oncology on broad range of different aspects and approaches of molecular biology with analysis of patient material and clinical trials. This work contributed significantly in understanding various gene regulation in cancers, the roles of the tumour microenvironment and various predictive molecular markers in genesis of brain tumours, which may help in detecting stages and also can be used in cancer therapies. Her PhD is from the Department of Neurophysiology and her research work focused on understanding the role of chronic stress in inducing depression and anxiety in animal models, which is associated with cognitive deficits. This study focused on chronic stress associated with neurochemical changes followed by cellular, morphological and behavioural changes in different brain structures responsible for these complex psycho-pathologies. Here she made an attempt to understand how stress causes cognitive deficits, anomalies in neuroplasticity and morphological changes in some key areas such as the pre-frontal cortex, the hippocampus and the amygdala, major regions controlling hypothalamo pituitary adrenal axis through social support (enriched environment) and also by two antidepressant drugs escitalopram and reboxetine. After completion of doctorate degree she went for Post Doctoral training at Nathan Kline Institute for psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, New York University Langone Medical center (USA). Her PDF work profile was to understand the retrograde neurotransmission with respect to endocannabinoids and its receptors mediated BDNF signaling associated with depressive behavior in human postmortem brain as well as Wistar Kyoto rats.

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