Profile of AIDS Vaccine researcher Dr. Pradeep Seth

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Dear FORUM,

This is to introduce one of the prominent Indian AIDS Vaccine researcher Dr.

Pradeep Seth.

Moderator

AIDS INDIA e FORUM

____________________________

Dr. Pradeep Seth

Professor of Virology and Head, Department of Microbiology,

and In-charge HIV/AIDS Reference Centre (NACO),

A.I.I.M.S., New Delhi

Research specialization: Virology

Research Experience and Areas of Special Interest:

Dr. Seth has been working in the field of Virology since 1968. From

1970 to 1990, he worked on the role of viruses, particularly herpes

simplex virus type 2 and Human papilloma viruses in the

aetiopathogenesis of uterine cervical cancer in humans. In 1986, the

Government of India identified his laboratory as a National HIV/AIDS

Reference Centre. In 1987, he and his co-authors were the first ones

in India to isolate HIV-1 from Indian patients infected with HIV. In

the decade of 1990 several landmarks were achieved by their

Reference Centre: development of indigenous ELISA kit for the

detection of HIV-1 and 2 antibodies in infected individuals;

identification of HIV-1 subtypes circulating in India. Presently his

laboratory has been working on the development of Indian HIV-1

subtype C DNA vaccine. It is under preclinical trials in non-human

primates for its efficacy.

In addition, they have been working on the evolution of Dengue

viruses in Southeast Asia, particularly India. In 1996, North India

(Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh) experienced a

devastating epidemic of Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever (DHF) with high

morbidity and mortality. In Delhi alone more than 10,000 individuals

sought treatment in various hospitals of Delhi and 423 died. They

identified the virus as Dengue type 2 genotype IV which replaced the

existent Dengue type 2 genotype V strain circulating in the

population since 1957. They also found that the current genotype IV

strain was similar to the Dengue type 2 strain which had resulted in

the DHF epidemics in the Seychelles (1977), Sri Lanka (1982),

Somalia (1984), Pakistan (1994), Straits (1996) and the Cook

Islands (1997).

He has been able to introduce the Polymerase Chain Reaction as a

rapid assay for the diagnosis of tuberculosis particularly

extrapulmonary tuberculosis and HIV infection in newborns. Both

these assays have been developed keeping in mind the Indian strains

of the causative microorganisms, Mycobacterium tuberculosis and HIV.

Academic Honours/Awards:

• Raja Ravi Sher Singh of Kalsia Memorial Award of the Indian

Council of Medical Research for Cancer Research on " Herpes simplex

virus and cancer cervix " for the year 1978.

• Hari Om Ashram Prerit Dr. S. Rangachari Research Endowment

Executive Committee Award of the Association of Surgeons of India

on " Immunological aspects of breast cancer " for the year 1984.

• Dr. J.B. Srivastava Oration Award of the Indian Council of Medical

Research for research in the field of virology for the year 1985.

• Dr. Shanti Swaroop Bhatnagar Award of the Council of Scientific

and Industrial Research for original contribution in the field of

Medical Sciences for the year 1986.

• Fogarty International Fellowship of the National Institutes of

Health, U.S.A. in the special programme on AIDS from May 1st 1990 to

June 30, 1991.

• Dr. S.S. Aggarwal oration award of the Indian Association of

Medical Microbiologists for contribution in the field of

Microbiology for the year 1995.

• Lok Sewa Award of the Chamber of Indian Trade and Industry for

contribution in Medical Sciences for the year 1997.

• Nominated member of the New York Academy of Sciences since 1980.

• Fellow of the National Academy of Medical Sciences.

• President, Indian Association of Medical Microbiologists(1996-

1997).

Publications:

108 original papers including 8 review articles in international and

national journals. Two chapters in books and two laboratory manuals.

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