Prof. Upendra Nongthomba

Academic and Professional Career:

  • 29 April, 2020 – Present; Professor: Department of MRDG, IISc, Bangalore. Mechanisms of muscle and neuronal development, and their diseases; ageing and longevity; epigenetic inheritance; freshwater ecology, drug screening, and understanding science behind Ayurveda formulations using small model organisms.
  • April, 2014 – 28 April, 2020; Associate Professor: Department of MRDG, IISc, Bangalore. Muscle and neuromuscular diseases; gerontology; host-pathogen interactions; drug screening, and understanding science behind Ayurveda formulations using small model organisms.
  • October, 2004 – March, 2014; Assistant Professor: Department of MRDG, IISc, Bangalore. Development of Drosophila and Zebra fish as model organisms for studying myogenesis, human muscular diseases, axon guidance, neurodegeneration and host-pathogen interactions.
  • 1998 – 2004; Post-doctoral Position: University of York, UK. Interactions between the regulatory proteins of the thin filament in striated muscle: a molecular genetics approach and development of Drosophila as model system for studying human myopathies.
  • 1995 – 1999; Ph.D.: University of Mysore, India. Genetic Analysis of Indirect Flight Muscle development in Drosophila melanogaster.
  • B.Sc. and M.Sc.: University of Mysore, India.

Awards/Fellowships:

  • Sir C. V. Raman Young Scientist State Award, 2014.
  • Senior Research Fellowship, 1998; awarded by CSIR, New Delhi, India.
  • Junior and Senior Research Fellowship, 1995-98; Department of Science and Technology, Government of India sponsored project to Dr. N.B. Ramachandra.
  • Iyengar Cash Prize, 1994; for obtaining highest mark in Zoology MSc.
  • Gold Medal MSc., 1994; for obtaining highest mark in Zoology MSc.
  • Prof. Balakrishna Merit Scholarship, 1992; for obtaining highest marks in Zoology in final year BSc.
  • Central School Scholarship, 1982-1989; Department of Human Resources, Government. of India.

Professional affiliations:

  • Member of the British Developmental Biologist’s Society, 2000-2005.
  • Life member of the Society of Biological Chemist, India (SBC(I))
  • Life member of the Indian Society of Cell Biology (ISCB).
  • Member of the Indian Developmental Biologists’ Society (InDBS).
  • Member of the Federation of Asian and Oceanian Biochemists and Molecular Biologists (FAOBMB)
  • Member of the Society for Mitochondrial Research and Medicine, India (SMRM).

Meetings/Conferences organised:

  • Convenor of “International Conference on Recent Advances in Genetics and Genomics” organized by Department of Genetics and Genomics, Mysore University, held at Rani Bahadur Auditorium, Mysore University, 19th-20th February, 2021.
  • One of the organizing coordinators and resource persons for Academies’ sponsored lecture workshop on “Recent advances in Genetics and Genomics”, held at Manipur University, Imphal, 13th-14th November, 2017
  • 3rd Annual Conference of the Society for Mitochondrial Research and Medicine (SMRM-2013) – India, held at National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore, 19th–20th December, 2013.
  • Fifth Annual Meeting of Proteomic Society–India, held at NIAS, Bangalore, 28th–30th November, 2013
  • 79th SBC(I) Meeting held at IISc, Bangalore – 13th-15th Dec, 2010.
  • ISSRF Meeting held at IISc, Bangalore – Jan, 2009.
  • One day mini-symposium between University of York and Institute investigators – 19th Feb, 2008.

Workshops and courses conducted/organised:

  • UGC-NRC-DBS sponsored workshop on “Teaching and Learning with Drosophila: Mendel to Genomics”, held at Biological Science Building, IISc, Bangalore, 29th December, 2014-10th January, 2015.
  • Academies’ sponsored lecture workshop on “Recent advances in Chemical Biology”, held at Manipur University, Imphal, 24-26th March, 2014.
  • Academies’ Sponsored Workshop for research scholar on “Transferable skills” held at Manipur University, Imphal, 4th–5th April, 2012 and at North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU), Shillong, 9th–10th April, 2012.
  • Academies’ Sponsored Workshop for college teachers and students on “Recent advances in biology” held at Manipur University, Imphal, Manipur, India – 28th-29th Mar, 2011.
  • Workshop on “Transferable skills – The successful scientist’s other toolbox” for the IISc PhD and Int. PhD students, with Prof. John Sparrow, York University, UK – 28th Feb, 2006.
  • The Indian Science Academy-sponsored workshop for college teachers on developmental biology – 14th-20th Dec, 2004.