Advancing Discovery Through Rigorous, Collaborative Research

NGS Data Analysis: Lecture Series & Hands-on Workshop

Learn. Analyze. Discover. — From Data Analysis to Biological Insights

Organised by the Multidisciplinary Research Unit, Department of Medical Research, GIMS Greater Noida. Speaker: Dr. Kalaiarasan Ponnusamy, Division of Medical Research, SRM Institute of Science & Technology, KTR, Chennai — a computational biologist and bioinformatician with over 17 years of experience in AI, bioinformatics, genomics and structural biology.

Hands-on Workshop on Mammalian Cell Culture

Venue: Department of Medical Research, 1st Floor, GIMS Greater Noida

A two-day hands-on programme covering aseptic technique and biosafety cabinet use, thawing of cryovials and primary seeding, routine passaging and re-seeding, manual and automated cell counting, MTT assay setup and analysis, and experimental design with controls and statistics.

Centralized Research Facilitation, Governance and Project Monitoring

DMR functions as the central research hub of GIMS, supporting extramural funding opportunities, concept-note and proposal development, methodology refinement, statistical and budget support, and internal scientific review before submission.

The coordinated model also includes department-wise scientist allotment, monthly research-review meetings, monitoring of ongoing projects and support for progress and completion reports, with the aim of improving grant success, publication quality, interdisciplinary collaboration and institutional research governance.

Three-Day NGS Data Analysis Lecture Series and Hands-on Workshop

The Multidisciplinary Research Unit, Department of Medical Research, organised an intensive three-day programme on next-generation sequencing data analysis. Led by Dr. Kalaiarasan Ponnusamy and supervised by Dr. Devesh Sharma & Dr. Robin Marwal, the workshop covered data quality control, sequence alignment and BAM-file generation to differential-expression analysis, SNP analysis, phylogenetics, pathway enrichment and biomarker discovery.

The programme strengthened practical bioinformatics capacity and helped participants convert high-throughput sequencing datasets into biologically and clinically meaningful insights.

Hands-on Workshop on Mammalian Cell Culture

A two-day hands-on workshop was conducted at the Department of Medical Research to build foundational and applied skills in mammalian cell culture. The workshop was supervised by Dr. Robin Marwal & Mr. Piyush Bhati.

The training covered aseptic technique and biosafety-cabinet use, thawing of cryovials and primary seeding, routine passaging and re-seeding, manual and automated cell counting, MTT-assay setup and analysis, and experimental design with appropriate controls and statistics.

The workshop supported researchers planning cell-based studies in cancer biology, regenerative medicine, toxicology and molecular medicine.

Expanding MRU Research Portfolio across Clinical and Translational Domains

The current DMR research portal lists 46 ongoing and completed MRU projects spanning newborn screening, cervical-cancer screening, antimicrobial resistance, sepsis diagnostics, cancer genomics, metabolic disease, cardiovascular risk, reproductive health, healthy ageing, environmental exposure and artificial-intelligence-based clinical decision support. This growing portfolio demonstrates the transition of GIMS from isolated departmental studies to coordinated, multidisciplinary and clinically relevant research.

Certificate of Excellence at Medical Colleges Research Connect 2026

The GIMS MRU received a Certificate of Excellence for its performance and institutional research model at Medical Colleges Research Connect 2026. The recognition highlighted the consolidation of research facilities and activities under the Department of Medical Research.

Flagship Extramural and Translational Research Projects

Major externally supported projects include circadian-rhythm gene variation in shift workers; targeted NGS-based homologous-recombination- deficiency assessment in solid cancers; urine-based HPV screening as an alternative to clinician sampling or Pap cytology; lectin-coated super-paramagnetic beads with molecular-beacon PCR for culture-free detection of sepsis pathogens; and a multicentre randomised trial comparing one dose of Cervavac® with one dose of Gardasil® in girls aged 9–14 years.

These projects combine laboratory innovation, clinical validation and public-health relevance.

Flagship Extramural and Translational Research Projects

Major externally supported projects include circadian-rhythm gene variation in shift workers; targeted NGS-based homologous-recombination- deficiency assessment in solid cancers; urine-based HPV screening as an alternative to clinician sampling or Pap cytology; lectin-coated super-paramagnetic beads with molecular-beacon PCR for culture-free detection of sepsis pathogens; and a multicentre randomised trial comparing one dose of Cervavac® with one dose of Gardasil® in girls aged 9–14 years.

These projects combine laboratory innovation, clinical validation and public-health relevance.

VRDL Strengthens Viral Surveillance, Diagnostic Research and Quality Systems

The GIMS VRDL supports diagnosis and surveillance for respiratory, febrile and neurotropic viral infections, including influenza, SARS-CoV-2, RSV, HMPV, dengue, hepatitis viruses and viral meningitis/encephalitis pathogens.

The VRDL presentation reports 4,999 specimens tested in FY 2024-25, capability for 23 viruses, participation in five external quality-assurance programmes, and NABL ISO 15189:2022 accreditation for HBsAg and HCV antibody rapid testing.

Research activities include the ICMR Pan-India respiratory-virus surveillance programme, HMPV testing, dengue serotyping and HPV-related projects.

Research Capacity Building for Faculty, Scientists and Postgraduates

The DMR conducted five workshops and training programmes with 195 faculty members, scientists and staff trained. Key activities included hands-on training in systematic reviews and meta-analysis, research methodology for postgraduate students, data interpretation and manuscript writing, bioinformatics, and sample-size calculation.

These initiatives are designed to improve study design, analytical rigour, reporting quality and publication readiness across GIMS.

Inter-Institutional MRU Research Conclaves and Resource Sharing

The MRU research conclaves brought together GIMS and major medical-research institutions from Delhi-NCR and Uttar Pradesh, including MAMC, UCMS, VMMC, ESIC Faridabad, Sarojini Naidu Medical College and Vallabhbhai Patel Chest Institute.

The meetings focused on sharing expertise and high-end infrastructure, reducing duplication, identifying collaborative studies and adopting best research practices. The initiative also included discussions on common resource sharing and initiation of a collaborative project with UCMS.