National Advisors
Their experience and knowledge have shown us way.
Professor Dr. Arun Jamkar has done his Masters in Surgery followed by a Ph.D. in Surgical Oncology. He is a trained transplant surgeon from Freeman Hospital, UK and was the first surgeon in Pune to start Renal Transplant Surgery in public sector.
He is a former Vice Chancellor of Maharashtra University of Health Sciences. He has been the Dean of B.J. Medical College. Dr Jamkar is a multifaceted person, a surgeon, an eminent educationist, a versatile administrator, a mentor par excellence & globally acknowledged innovator.
He has performed thousands of major cancer surgeries. Due to his efforts and initiative in organ donation and transplantation attained wider acceptance across the various socio, economic and religious strata of the society. His unflinching commitment to serve the destitute brought affordable “Renal Transplant Surgery” to government hospitals. He has been a U.N.E.S.C.O. chair in Bioethics Haifa at M.U.H.S. He had proposed Incubation Center for Healthcare Innovations in collaboration with IIT Powai in Mumbai and helped to develop first indigenous MRI by Society for Microwave Electronics and Engineering Research.
Dr. Jamkar established H1N1 isolation in I.C.U. at Sassoon General hospital creating respiratory and ventilator care management for critically ill. He was a representative of India for International digital Epidemiological Study on “Acute Pain in Abdomen” He is also involved in collaborative projects with Johns Hopkins University, USA. He is a fellow of esteemed Foundation for Advancement of International Medical Education and Research (FAIMER). He was involved in collaborative project between Maharashtra University of Health Sciences and University of Michigan. The Government of India has recently nominated,
Dr. Padma Shastry is a Principal Scientist (ex-Scientist G) in National Centre for Cell science (NCCS), Pune. She is PhD from Bombay University, India and did her post- doctoral studies at University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.
She joined the Immunology department of CVTC, KEM hospital, Parel, Bombay in 1984 as a pool officer and continued as Senior Scientific Officer and worked in the area of Immunology of Acute rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease.
Since 1990, she is working at National Centre for Cell Science (NCCS earlier NFATCC). She has developed in vitro system using cell lines as alternatives to animals for assessing antibodies to tetanus.
Her research interests are in cancer biology and currently the projects are focused on understanding studying drug resistance/ sensitivity in gliomas using different experimental models, elucidating the signal transduction pathways in proliferation, survival and invasion in gliomas for identification of molecules for drug targets.
The group employs multidisciplinary approaches to study the mechanisms of drug resistance and sensitivity in gliomas using monolayers (2D) and multicellular spheroids (MCS) cultured cells, Akt/PKB – NF-kappaB signaling in proliferation in survival, proliferation and invasion in gliomas and decipher the mechanisms of tumor environment with emphasis on inflammatory cytokines in modulation of mTORC2 complex signaling in tumor progression.
Her research interests also include -stem cell biology with focus on directing human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells towards neuronal lineage and understanding the mechanisms involved. She has worked on projects related to malaria and fungal lectins as potential tools for anticancer activity.
There are many publications authored and co authored over her vast career and presented many search papers in varied scientific platforms. She is a recognized guide for Savitribai Phule Pune Univiversity for PhD in zoology and Biotechnology. She has actively participated in teaching programs of M.Sc (Biotech) Pune University, PhD course work and Refresher’s course for university faculty members, popular talks in colleges and universities. She has functioned as PhD examiner for different universities- Mumbai, Karnataka, Kerala and institutions -AIIMS, IISC, IIT(Madras), Shree Chitra Tirunal medical sciences and HBNI (Mumbai). She has been a reviewer for international journals- carcinogenesis, plos one, mol carcinogenesis, molecular cancer, chemotherapy, Exp Cell Res etc. She has received extramural funding from agencies- ICMR, DST, DBT, BRNS and had collaborative projects with industry.
Her guidance has been of immense value to Rasayu family.
Dr Joshi is a scientist of Drug Discovery section at Cipla. She was earlier the Vice President in the Department of Pharmacology at Piramal Life Sciences Limited, Mumbai.
She was involved in cellular target identification, validation, setting up of screening in vitro and in vivo assays and mechanism based in vitro and in vivo assays, lead identification and optimization, and detailed preclinical profiling of actives.
She has delivered eight INDs (new drug documents) in the field of Oncology which includes four small molecule clinical candidates, basically new chemical entity (NCEs), three combinations and one herbal candidate.
Dr Joshi has been group leader (1993) at Hoechst Marrion Roussel (HMR), a multinational pharmaceutical company, Mumbai. She was involved in setting up cell and receptor based screening assays for pro-inflammatory cytokines viz. IL-1, TNF-alfa, IL-6 and IL-10 and in vivo efficacy models. As a core team member to initiate new drug discovery programs at Nicholas Piramal, Dr Kalpana Joshi developed several human tumor xenograft models along with many metastatic and orthotropic models. Doctor established maximum tolerated dose range and carried out pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic studies in animals especially in efficacy models. Dr Joshi has varied expertise in oncology in new drug discovery. She identified a target based NCE screening program viz. Cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors. P276-00, the first clinical candidate is parenteral and currently in Phase III clinical trials. Subsequently there was development of an oral molecule P1446A-05 and that is in Phase II clinical trials.
She initiated various combination studies for P276-00 and P1446A-05 with available standard-of-care drugs for various cancer indications. The combination studies are currently undergoing clinical trials for head and neck, pancreatic and triple negative breast cancer indications.
Besides identification of Bcr-abl inhibitors as a therapeutic modality for chronic myeloid leukemia, identification of one herbal entity and one NCE P2745 which is currently in Phase I clinical trial and also revived an orphan drug status from US-FDA. She has been a major support to the Rasayu family.
Dr. Rekha Khedekar is MD in Anatomical & Clinical Pathology. She held number of positions as below:
- Lecturer on Immunology, Immunohematology at Medical Technology School, Catholic Medical Center, Queens New York, U.S.A 1974-76.
- Lecturer on Pathology, Surgery & Medicine Residents of Catholic Medical Center, Queens New York, U.S.A.1974-76.
- Lecturer/ Instructor on Microscopic Pathology & Neuropathology Rutgers Medical School, College of Medicine & Dentistry of N.J., Rutgers, New Jersey, 1976-82.
- Clinical Assistant Professor of Pathology at V A Medical Center Lyons, N.J. and College of Medicine & Dentistry, Of N.J., Rutgers, New Jersey, 1982-83.
- As a Fellow in Catholic Medical Center, Queens New York, U.S.A,1975-76.
- Staff Pathologist in V A Medical Center, Lyons, New Jersey, U.S.A, 1976-80.
- Assistant Chief Pathologist in V A Medical Center, Lyons, New Jersey, U.S.A, 1980-82.
- Chief Pathologist & Chief of Laboratory Services: V A Medical Center, Lyons, New Jersey, 1982-83.
- Pathologist in Joshi Hospital, Pune 1984-92.
- Chief Pathologist in Medinova Diagnostics, Pune, 1992-97.
- Consulting Pathologist Joshi and Ratna Hospitals, Pune, 1997-2000.
- Chief Consulting Pathologist of Joshi and Ratna Hospitals, Pune, 2000-2009.
- Senior Consulting Pathologist of Niramaya Hospital, Pune 2011 to 2013.
- Director of Laboratory Medicine, Aditya Birla Memorial Hospital, 2013-2020.
- Chief, Quality Management Systems, Aditya Birla Memorial Hospital, Pune, since 2020 till date.
- Dr Khedekar has Professional Memberships of many organizations such as N.J. Society of Pathologists, American Medical Association, College of American Pathologists, Indian Medical Association and Founder Member of Hospital Infection Control Committee, Pune, India.
- Dr. Rekha Khedekar has been a constant guide to the Rasayu family over the years.
Dr Ulhas Wagh is PhD in Applied Biology from University of Bombay.He was Post-Doctoral fellow of Nobel Institute for Medical Cell Research & Swedish Govt. Fellow (SIDA) Genetics, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.
He is a Founder Director of National Centre for Cell Science (NCCS), Dept. of Bio technology, Ministry of Science &Technology, Govt. of India (1988-1995). Earlier he worked as a Director Grade Scientist, I C M R (Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) (1955-1988). He Conducted several workshops sponsored by UNESCO, WHO, EMBO, ICRO, ICMR, DST, DBT, CSIR during his long career.
He guided M.Sc., Ph.D, Medical Diploma in Virology, M. Pharm, M S, M D students. Later he worked as a Founder Director, Interactive Research School for Health Affairs, Bharati Vidyapeeth University and Distinguished Professor in Bharati Vidyapeeth University, Pune. His research work has been published in both national and international peered reviews journals. His areas of research are Taxonomy, ecology, establishment of life cycle of parasites in the laboratory, development of cell lines, specialized media, new parameters for cell characterization, quantitative cytochemistry, Malaria parasite cultures & screening drugs, application of cell cultures in the field of parasitology, oncology, virology, cryo-biology, isolation of causative agents of diseases, tissue banking, efficacy of herbal/ plant extracts & in vitro & in vivo systems.
Development of technology for fortification of food items (neutraceuticals/ functional foods). He is recipient of multiple International Patents on Omega-3-fatty acid compositions derived from honey.
Dr. Wagh has been an inspiration for Rasayu family.
Dr. Amalnerkar is Former Executive Director at Centre for Materials for Electronics Technology (CMET) (Under Ministry of Electronics & IT, Government of India), Pune, Hyderabad & Thrissur, India.
- He is Brain-Pool Invited Scientist & Visiting Professor at Institute of Nanoscience & Technology,Hanyang University, Seoul, South Korea.
- He is involved in Research in Electronic Materials & Devices, Nanoscale Materials, Nano bioscience.
- He has over 220 Publications in International Journals to his credit and 19 Indian & 3 US Patents besides 2 Technology Transfers.
- He has been invited to more than 75 talks in India & Abroad.
- He has been President of Materials Research Society of India, Pune Local Chapter.
- Dr. Amalnerkar has organized 12 International Symposia / Workshops in India and overseas.
- He is Member of Statutory Bodies of various Universities and Government Funding Agencies.
- Dr Amalnerkar was awarded the prestigious MRSI Medal by Material Research Society of India for his outstanding contributions over the years.
- Dr Dinesh Amalnerkar has been a pillar of strength for Rasayu Cancer Clinic over the years.
