Scientific Research & Development Team

Dr. Ratnesh Jain, Scientific Researcher
Dr. Ratnesh Jain studied Bachelor of Pharmaceutical Sciences from Rajiv Gandhi Technical University, Bhopal and Masters of Pharmaceutical Sciences from University of Mumbai, India. After working in Lupin Researh Park, India, he began his doctorate at the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technology, Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai. During this tenure he received a Fellowship from the Department of Atomic Energy, Government of India. His doctoral work was focussed on the development and evaluation of various polymeric nanocarriers like micelles, nano particles, etc. His expertise lies in the formulation and characterization of these drug delivery systems, various approaches of their targeting and their toxicity and efficacy evaluations in animal models. Subsequently, he joined the Department of Biopharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology, Saarland University, Saarbrucken as a postdoctoral fellow. Here, he was engaged in the formulation of polymeric nanoparticles using modified excipients, for encapsulating and targeting hydrophobic anti-cancer actives. He was awarded the prestigious Alexander von Humboldt Postdoctoral Fellowship by the AvH Foundation, Germany and completed the associated research at the Department of Drug Delivery, Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS), Saarbrucken, Germany. He has authored 12 publications during this tenure and has received various fellowships from the Government of India, poster prizes and travel grants for research during this tenure. He received DST-DFG (Government of India & Government of Germany) award to attend the Meeting of Nobel Laureates and Young Researchers in Physiology and Medicine 2007 at Lindau, Germany and he was also selected as a part of the Institute of Chemical Technology team to represent India at Indo‐UK Biotechnology YES (Young Entrepreneurship Scheme) at Oxford, United Kingdom. He is currently a member of CRS Inc., USA and Indian chapter and member of the Indian Pharmaceutical Association.

In January 2012, he received the Ramanujan Faculty Fellowship from the Government of India and in April 2012 he received the Ramalingaswami Fellowship from DBT, Government of India. He is associated with the Department of Chemical Engineering, Institute of Chemical Technology, Matunga, Mumbai. His research expertise includes polymeric nanoparticles, vaccines, drug delivery devices and imaging for preclinical research.

Dr. Prajakta Dandekar, Scientific Researcher
Dr. Prajakta Dandekar received her Bachelor of Pharmaceutical Sciences, M. Tech. (Bioprocess Technology) and Ph.D. (Tech.) (Bioprocess Technology) at the Department Of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technology, Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai. Her doctoral research focussed on nanoparticle engineering for improved drug delivery, and investigated different types of polymeric nanoparticles of natural actives. Her proficiency lies in various methods involved in fabrication of polymeric nanoparticles along with good insight into various aspects of targeting; an experience with the various characterization techniques; cell culturing and assays and experience in in vivo toxicity studies and executions of pharmacodynamic evaluations.

After her doctoral work, she was employed as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Department of Macromolecular Organic Chemistry, University of Saarland. During this tenure she was engaged in the formulation of nanoparticles of new hydrophobic starch polymers for encapsulating hydrophobic anti-cancer actives. She is the first woman scientist from India to be awarded the European Respiratory Society-Marie Curie Joint Postdoctoral Fellowship (long-term) and she conducted the associated research at the Department of Drug Delivery, Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS), Saarbrucken, Germany. Her research was focussed on the application of novel cationic polymers for intracellular delivery of siena for the treatment of Tuberculosis. She has authored 14 publications during this tenure. She has received various fellowships from the Government of India, and poster prizes and travel grants for her research during this tenure. She was selected to represent India as part of the Institute of Chemical Technology team at the Indo‐UK Biotechnology YES (Young Entrepreneurship Scheme) at Oxford, United Kingdom. She has been part of the editorial team of the CRS Newsletter, Indian chapter, and is currently a member of the Membership and Development committee, CRS Inc., USA; a member CRS, Indian chapter; a member of outreach committee of American College of Clinical Pharmacology, USA and a member of the Indian Pharmaceutical Association.

In January 2012, she was appointed as a Dr. John Kapoor Assistant Professor in Pharmaceutical Technology at the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technology, Institute of Chemical Technology, Matunga, Mumbai. Her research expertise includes the design of RNA nanoplexes, pulmonary diseases, cellular models and artificial organs for preclinical research.