Shashwat Sharad       

I obtained my masters degree in Microbiology from Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Avadh University Faizabad. Then shifted to molecular biology and obtained Ph.D degree from Department of Biochemistry, Allahabad Agricultural Institute and in Collaboration With Biological Sciences Group, BITS, Pilani on “Allele Specific Sequencing of Mu Opiate receptor” Genetic Correlation with Opiate Abuse” in the area of Neurobiochemistry.

Currently I am working in the Genomics laboratory with Prof. (dr.) suman kapur.  We are involved in exploring the genes involved in the complex behavioral disorders. We are trying to identify the susceptible markers in the Indian populations so that these markers in future proved to be very useful in early diagnosis of the complex disorders.

Courses taught / teaching

I

Research Interest

• Identification of a Genetic Marker for Susceptibility for Addiction to Opiates.
• Identification of Genetic Loci Associated with Risk for Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) in Indians from Rajasthan.
• Development of an indigenous chip for testing the sensitivity of pathogens in human urine for antibiotic.
• Genetic markers: vulnerability to common neuro-psychiatric diseases.
• APOE & OB Genes & anthropometric markers in Type 2 diabetes.
• Genetic markers for alcohol induced pancreatic and liver diseases.
• Levels of the cytokines MCP-1 & IL-8, Adiponecti and Leptin in subjects with metabolic syndrome, obesity and addiction.
• The focus of the group is on genetic basis of human diseases with active ongoing work in the field of Addictive disorder, Psychiatric disorder like Depression and Schizophrenia, Alzheimer’s disease, Diabetes (T₂DM) and Metabolic Syndrome. 
• The genes being studied are APOE, CAPN, PPARγ, , ALDH₂, ADH1B, ADH1C, OPRM1, OB, TPH, CRYGA, CRYGB, D₂, D₅, ADCY₄, ADCY₃, CCKAR, CCKBR, CF508, SPNK-1, PS-1, CYP2E1, CTSB, HSP₇₀, TNFα, , PRSS-1 and several micro-satellite markers on chromosome segments 2q and 6q.

Publications

1.      Ashok Jhanjaria, Suman Kapur, R P Agrawal, Manav Kapoor, Shashwat Sharad, Urvashi Dube, Niranjana Mohta, D K Kochar; First study of aryl hydrocarbon nuclear translocator gene in Indians: Correlation with resistance to diabetes in Raika community. Diabetes Res Clin Pract. 2008 Oct; 82(1):e21-e22. Epub 2008 Aug 27.

2.      Single nucleotide polymorphism in genes encoding for various alcohol metabolizing enzymes: correlation with alcohol induced tissue specific damage. Manav Kapoor, Shashwat Sharad, Anoop Saraya, Meera Vaswani and Suman Kapur. Alcoholism. 2008, 32(6), 148 A, 550.

3.      Suman Kapur, Shashwat Sharad, R A Singh, A K Gupta: A118G polymorphism in mu opioid receptor gene (oprm1): association with opiate addiction in subjects of Indian origin. J Integr Neurosci. 2007 Dec;6 (4):511-22.

4.      Suman Kapur, Shashwat Sharad, M. Vaswani and Nimesh G. Desai: ADH₂ and ALDH₂ genes in alcohol dependent subjects of Indian origin. Alcoholism. 2004 (Supp) 28(8) p10.b.10.

NATIONAL JOURNALS

 1.  Suman Kapur, Shipra Mehra Devarshi Gajjar, Abhay Vasavada, Manav Kapoor, Shashwat Sharad, Bhagwat Alapure, S Rajkumar, Analysis of Single nucleotide polymorphisms of γ – Crystallin A and B genes in control population of Western Indian origin (accepted for publication , Indian Journal of Ophthalmology, manuscript number IJO_170_08).

  2.    Aparna G, Shashwat Sharad and Suman Kapur. Microsatellites: The new era bar codes.  Journal of Cell and Tissue Research. 2008, A View Point (Editors Choice).

 3.     Shashwat Sharad, A K Gupta, R A Singh and Suman Kapur: Correlation of Circulatory Immunoglobulin Levels with Mu Opiate Receptor- Allele Type. Indian Journal of Biochemistry & Biophysics, October 2007, 44, 394-400.

 4.      Suman Kapur, Shashwat Sharad, Manav Kapoor, Kiran Bala: APOE Genotypes: Risk Factor for Alzheimer's disease. JIACM, 2006 7(2):118-122.

 5.      Shashwat Sharad and Suman Kapur: Emerging Human Infections: An Overview on Parvovirus B19. JIACM, 2005, 6(4): 319-26.

  6.      Ravindra Pratap Singh, Shashwat Sharad and Suman Kapur:  Free Radicals and Oxidative Stress in Neurodegenerative Diseases: Relevance of Dietary Antioxidants  JIACM, 2004; 5(3): 218-25.

Abstracts and Presentations in conferences

1.      Shashwat Sharad, Anuradha Pal, Manav Kapoor, LC Dhaka, Suman Kapur: Association of polymorphisms in the mu opioid receptor gene with alcohol abuse in Indian subjects will be presented at NIDA “Frontiers in Addiction Research” satellite event associated with the Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in Washington DC, USA from November 15th – 19th , 2008

2.      Shashwat Sharad, Anuradha Pal, Manav Kapoor, R P Aggarwal, Suman Kapur: Role of OPRM1 gene in T2DM susceptibility and its prevalence in North –West part of Rajasthan, presented at Human Genome Variation Meeting held at Toronto, Canada from 15-17th October 2008

3.      Shashwat Sharad,  Manav Kapoor, Anoop Sarai, Meera Vaswani and Suman Kapur. Single Nucleotide Polymorphism in Genes Encoding for Various Metabolizing Enzymes: Correlation with Alcohol Induced Tissue Specific Damage presented at 6^th International Symposium on Experimental and Clinical Neurobiology, Kosice, Slovakia, 8^th –11^th September 2008

4.      Manav Kapoor, Shashwat Sharad, Anoop Sarai, Meera Vaswani and Suman Kapur: Single Nucleotide Polymorphism in Genes Encoding for Various Metabolizing Enzymes: Correlation with Alcohol Induced Tissue Specific Damage, presented in The 2008 Joint RSA/ISBRA Scientific Conference being held in June 28-July 2 in Washington DC.

5.      Suman Kapur, Shashwat Sharad and R A Singh, Correlation of circulatory immunoglobulin levels with mu opiate receptor allele type is presented at 7th IBRO World Congress of Neuroscience from July 12-17, 2007 in Melbourne, Australia

6.      Suman Kapur, Shashwat Sharad , R A Singh and A K Gupta Correlation of opiate addiction and mu opiate receptor genotype  with serum MCP-1 and IL-8 levels, is accepted for presentation in 11th Asian Pacific Congress of Clinical Biochemistry  from October 14-19, 2007 in Beijing, China

7.      Suman Kapur and Shashwat Sharad: Correlation of circulatory immunoglobulin levels with mu opiate receptor allele type presented at 33rd Annual meeting of Indian Immunological Society of India at Delhi, from 28th to 31st January 2007.

8.      APOE Gene: Correlation of Genotypes with Various Clinical and Anthropometric Parameters seen in Type 2 Diabetes. Suman Kapur, R P Pareek, R P Agarwal, R.K. Khinvasara, Manav Kapoor, Shaifali Gurjar, Urvashi Dubey and Shashwat Sharad, presented at 5th Winter Symposium 2007 at CMC Vellore from January 11th to 13th, 2007.

9.      Association between Two Mu Opioid Receptor Gene (OPRM1) Exon 1 Polymorphisms and Opiate addicts of Indian Origin, Suman Kapur, Shashwat Sharad, R A Singh, A K Gupta, presented at IBRO-FAONS meeting held at Hong kong from 30th November to 2nd December 2006.

10.  Solid catalyzed synthesis of beta bis [indolyl] methanes under solvent - free conditions and their antimicrobial activities, Shashwat Sharad, M. Swapna  Braja G Mishra,  Dalip Kumar and Suman Kapur, presented at National symposium on challenges in drug discovery research, held at BITS, Pilani from 7-8th April 2006.

11.  Biosensors: Role in the drug development process, Dhwanil Damania, Shashwat Sharad and Suman Kapur, presented at National symposium on challenges in drug discovery research, held at BITS, Pilani from 7-8th April 2006.

12.  Mu Opioid Receptor Gene (OPRM1) Polymorphisms in Indian Subjects: Shashwat Sharad, A. K. Gupta, Manav Kapoor, L. C. Dhaka and Suman Kapur, Presented at Int. Symposium on Human Genomics and Public Health and XXXI Annual Conference of Indian Society of Human Genetics, held at Delhi from 27th February to 01 March 2006.

13.  Distribution of Pro12Ala Allele at PPAR-Gamma Locus in Indians: Amit Sundriyal, Manav Kapoor, Shashwat Sharad, Shipra Mehra, R P Pareek and Suman Kapur, Presented at Int. Symposium on Human Genomics and Public Health and XXXI Annual Conference of Indian Society of Human Genetics, held at Delhi from 27th February to 01 March 2006.

14.  APOE genotypes in Indian population: The longevity gene? Nitima Sharma, Shashwat Sharad, Manav Kapoor, Shipra Mehra, R. P. Pareek and Suman Kapur, Presented at Int. Symposium on Human Genomics and Public Health and XXXI Annual Conference of Indian Society of Human Genetics, held at Delhi from 27th February to 01 March 2006.

15.  Allelic Frequency of UCSNP-43 of CAPN-10 Gene in Indians: Monika Goyal, Shashwat Sharad, Manav Kapoor, Shipra Mehra, RP Pareek and Suman Kapur, Presented at Int. Symposium on Human Genomics and Public Health and XXXI Annual Conference of Indian Society of Human Genetics, held at Delhi from 27th February to 01 March 2006.

16.  Allelic polymorphism in gamma crystallin genes in western Indian subjects: Shipra Mehra, Devarshi Gajjar, Dhara Patel, Manav Kapoor, Shashwat Sharad, A.R. Vasavada and Suman Kapur, Presented at Int. Symposium on Human Genomics and Public Health and XXXI Annual Conference of Indian Society of Human Genetics, held at Delhi from 27th February to 01 March 2006.

17.  Distribution of alleles at the human ALDH2 and ADH2 Loci in North Indian subjects: Manav Kapoor, Shashwat Sharad, Meera Vaswani and Suman Kapur. Presented at Int. Symposium on Human Genomics and Public Health and XXXI Annual Conference of Indian Society of Human Genetics, held at Delhi from 27th February to 01 March 2006.

18.  Shashwat Sharad, Manav Kapoor, Kiran Bala, and Suman Kapur: ApoE Gene: A Correlation with Alzheimer’s disease and Plasma Lipid Levels. Presented at 32nd ACBICON 2005 held at Patna from 19th to 22nd December 2005.

19.  Shashwat Sharad, R A Singh, Manav Kapoor, A K Gupta, L C Dhaka and Suman Kapur: Increased Attributable Risk Related to a Functional Mu Opioid Receptor Gene (OPRM1) Exon1 Polymorphism (A118G Variant): An Association with Opioid Dependence in Indian Subjects.  To be presented in 1st International Conference of SAARC Psychiatric Federation held at Agra from 2^nd-5^th December 2005.

20.  Shashwat Sharad, Manav Kapoor, Lal Chand Dhaka and Suman Kapur: Association of Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) of the Mu Opioid Receptor Gene with Depressive Disorders, presented at 30^th Annual Conference of Indian Psychiatric Society (North Zone) held in Patiala from 15^th - 16^th  October, 2005.

21.  Shashwat sharad, manav kapoor, kiran bala and suman kapur: Alzheimer’s disease: A Correlation with Lipid, Lipoprotien and ApoE Gene, presented at CBISNF held in new delhi from nov 22^nd to nov 26^th, 2004.

22.  Suman Kapur, Shashwat Sharad, M. Vaswani and Nimesh G. Desai: ADH₂ and ALDH₂ genes in alcohol dependent subjects of Indian origin, accepted for presentation at 12^th annual meeting of International Society for Biomedical Research in Alcoholism held in Heidelberg from 29^th Sept to 5^th Oct. 2004.

23.  Manav kapoor, shashwat sharad, ra pareek and suman kapur: the genetics of depression in the post genomic world: implications for the general practitioner, presented at the annual meeting of rajasthan psychiatric association, held in jhunjhunu, rajasthan on 25^th –26^th, sep, 2004.

24.  Shashwat sharad, manav kapoor, Ra singh, ak gupta and suman kapur: genetics of opiate addiction overview for clinicians, presented at the annual meeting of rajasthan psychiatric association, held in jhunjhunu, rajasthan from on 25^th –26^th, sep, 2004..

25.  Shashwat Sharad and Suman Kapur: ADH2 and ALDH2 Allelic Polymorphism in Alcohol Dependent Indian Subjects: (Oral Presentation in 5^th Annual Symposium on Frontiers in Biomedical Research, held at Ambedkar Center for Biomedical Research, Delhi from April 14-16, 2004).

26. Suman kapur, ra Singh, shashwat sharad and ng desai: Adh₂ and aldh₂ genes in alcohol dependent indian patients, presented at the annual acbi meeting held at bangalore from 18^th to 21^st January, 2004.