Nil Ratan Sircar Medical College & Hospital (NRSMC&H)

Multi-Disciplinary Research Unit (MRU)

The Multidisciplinary Research Unit (MRU) is a part of a national scheme to establish dedicated infrastructure for research with special focus on Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) in State Govt. Medical Colleges. Department of Health Research, Govt. of India approved the establishment of a Multidisciplinary Research Unit in this Institution in 2017. After completion of the Civil work, and post pandemic normalization, staffs for MRU were recruited at 2022.

Its facility is open to everybody working for medical science under the roof of NRS Medical College & Hospital. 

The MRU is mandated to undertake research primarily in Non-Communicable Diseases. Other need-based projects may, however, be undertaken as warranted and with the approval of the Competent Authority.

The Unit is located on the 3^rd floor of Baker Building, NRSMC&H.

Objectives of the MRU:

Encourage and strengthen development of an ecosystem for undertaking research in medical colleges. To improve the overall health status of the population by creating evidence-based application of diagnostic procedures/processes/methods.

• Undertaking of multi centric research projects by MRUs, medical colleges, research institutes.
• Encouraging and strengthening research environment in medical colleges by establishing MRUs.
• Bridging infrastructural gap inhibiting health research in the medical colleges/research institutions by establishing MRUs
• Capacity building and human resource development in the field of health research.
• Ensuring geographical spread of health research infrastructure in medical colleges/research institutes by gradually establishing MRUs
• Improving overall health status of the population by creating evidence-based application of diagnostic procedures/processes/methods.

MRU Core Members:

Local Research Advisory Committee:

For operating the MRU in college, a Local Research Advisory Committee (LRAC) is constituted (as per DHR proposed structure) which approves research proposals received from various Departments of the college and subsequently monitors their progress.

Executive Committee (EC):

As per the DHR guideline, an Executive Committee (EC) has been constituted to

• establish the mechanism for receiving proposal from faculties
• encourage wide participation of different departments in proposal submission to MRU
• review proposal for presentation to LRAC

Facilities available:

• Thermal Cycler
• Real Time PCR
• Table Top Centrifuge (mini)
• Cold Micro Centrifuge
• Laminar Flow Hood
• - 20-degree Freezer
• - 80-degree Freezer
• Micro Centrifuge (Room Temperature)
• Microplate centrifuge
• Bacteriological Incubator
• Inverted Microscope
• CO₂ Incubator
• PCR Hood
• Vertical Gel Blotting Arrangements with Power Pack
• Horizontal Gel (Large/ Medium and Mini) with power supply
• Electronic Balance
• Micro Pipette (0.2-2 ul, 2-20 ul, 100-1000 ul)
• Autoclave
• Microwave oven
• pH Meter
• Water Bath
• Micropipette multi-channel (100 ul)
• Magnetic stirrer with hot plate
• Low Precision Digital balance
• 4-degree Freezer
• Rocker
• Vortex
• Milli-Q water system
• CO₂ Regulator
• CO₂ incubator
• HPLC system
• Transilluminator
• Gel documentation System

Research in progress:

The MRU periodically invites application for research proposals from the faculty of NRSMC&H to undertake projects (maximum 3 years’ duration) focused on addressing the health needs of West Bengal, and utilizing the equipment procured by the MRU.

A concept proposal and CV of the PI to be submitted during the call.

Each Concept proposal is screened by the Local Research Advisory Committee (LRAC) and final recommendation is made.

LRAC approved Projects of MRU:

2020:

1. Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis suppression in pediatric patients with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia receiving Glucocorticoids.

PI: Dr Soumik Goswami, Assistant Professor,

Department of Endocrinology, NRS Medical College, Kolkata

2. Optimization of Available Infrastructure and Resources for the Management of Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia Treated with FISH & Minimal Residual Disease based Dynamic Risk Stratified ICiCLe Protocol.

PI: Prof. (Dr.) Rajib De, Professor,

Department of Haematology, NRS Medical College, Kolkata

3. Spectrum of phenotype and genotype of congenital isolated hypogonadotropic hypogonadism in patients attending tertiary care hospital in Eastern India.

Dr. Arjun Baidya, Associate professor,

Department of Endocrinology, NRS Medical College, Kolkata

4. Establishment of correlation between functional genetic variants with phenotypic heterogeneity of Wilson’s disease among eastern Indian population

PI: Prof. (Dr.) Soma Gupta, HOD, Biochemistry Department, NRS Medical College, Kolkata

2023:

1. Evaluation of Nutritional Status of Patients with Depression attending Psychiatry OPD of Nil Ratan Sircar Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata: A Prospective Cohort Study

Dr. Swapnodeep Sarkar, Assistant Professor, Community Medicine, NRS Medical College, Kolkata

2. Efficacy of Topical Azithromycin in reducing cyclosporine induced Gingival Hyperplasia among patients of Aplastic Anemia

PI: Dr. Subham Bhattacharya, Assistant Professor, Department of Haematology, NRS Medical College, Kolkata

3. Study of blood compatibility of biomaterials and nanoparticles

PI: Prof. (Dr.) Rajib De, Professor, Department of Haematology, NRS Medical College, Kolkata

4. A study on procalcitonin as sepsis marker along with molecular characterization of carbapenem resistance genes in Gram negative bacilli isolated from blood stream infections in a tertiary care hospital in Eastern India

PI: Dr.  Kabita Choudhury, Assistant Professor, Department of Microbiology, NRS Medical College, Kolkata

2024:

1. PNPLA3 and TM6SF2 genetic polymorphism and risk of clinically significant liver fibrosis in Indian Type 2 diabetes patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

PI: Prof. (Dr.) Debes Ray, Professor & Head, Biochemistry Department, NRS Medical college & Hospital, Kolkata

2. Role of Platelet Derived Microparticle (PMP) on progression of Acute Lymphoblastic

Leukemia (ALL): An in vitro approach

PI: Dr. Sounik Sarkar, Scientist C, Multi-Disciplinary Research Unit (MRU), NRS Medical college & Hospital, Kolkata

3. Cryoglobulinemia and Cryofibrinogenemia in Systemic Lupus Erythematous and Their Relationship in Different Relevant Clinical Manifestations

PI: Dr. Sourav Pradhan, RMO, Rheumatology under General Medicine NRSMCH, NRS Medical College & Hospital, Kolkata

4. A comprehensive genome-wide comparative analysis to identify the specific risk variants associated with neonatal hyperbilirubinemia of the Eastern Indian population.

PI: Dr. Asim Kumar Mallick, Professor, Pediatrics, NRSMCH, NRS Medical College & Hospital, Kolkata

5. Prevalence and association of CYP11B2 and CYP1A1 genes with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome in ethnic Bengali Population of West Bengal

PI: Dr. Sanghamitra Chakraborty, Assistant Professor,Biochemistry, NRSMCH,NRS Medical College & Hospital, Kolkata

6. Identification of Genetic Risk Factors as Predictors of Post-Stroke Outcome: A Burden of West Bengal

PI: Dr. Arindam Biswas, Scientific Officer, DBT-NIDAN Kendra, NRS Medical college & Hospital, Kolkata

7. Alzheimer’s disease cognitive profile and correlation with genetic profile

PI: Dr. Joydeep Mukherjee, RMO-cum Clinical Tutor, Neuromedicine, NRS Medical college & Hospital, Kolkata

8. JAK2^V617F Allele Burden in Myeloproliferative Neoplasms: Effect on Prognosis

PI: Dr. Anjan Kumar Das, Professor, Pathology, NRS Medical college & Hospital, Kolkata

9. Clinical Outcome of Hydroxyurea with Thalidomide in Patients of Hb E Beta Thalassemia and its Relationship with XmnI Polymorphism

PI: Dr. Rajib De, Professor, Hematology, NRS Medical college & Hospital, Kolkata

10. Effect of Intra-articular Triamcinolone Vs Platelet-Rich-Plasma Vs Normal Saline on cartilage, pain, autonomic function and stress in Patients with Knee Osteoarthritis

PI: Dr. Sandipan Hazra, Assistant Professor, PM&R, NRS Medical college & Hospital, Kolkata

Departments actively involved in proposal writing:

Internal Departments

• Department of Haematology
• Department of Biochemistry
• Department of Endocrinology
• Department of Neuromedicine
• Department of Microbiology
• Department of Gynecology & Obstetrics
• Department of Community Medicine
• Department of Psychiatry
• Multi-Disciplinary Research Unit (MRU)
• DBT-NIDAN Kendra
• Rheumatology under General Medicine
• Department of Nephrology
• Department of General Medicine
• Department of Pediatrics
• Department of Neurology
• Department of pathology
• Department of PM&R
• Department of Radiodiagnosis
• Department of Physiology

External Departments

• Department of Biotechnology, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad University 0f Technology, West Bengal
• Department of Periodontics, Dr. R Ahmed Dental College & Hospital, Kolkata
• MLT Department, Dinabandhu Andrews Institute of Technology & Management
• Oncopathology, Medica  Superspeciality Hospital

PhD Thesis project:

Ongoing

1. Title: Study of Tyrosine kinase inhibitors on platelet function - refining management of hematological malignancies by predicting hemostatic complications.

Student internship project:

1. Prevalence of common deletional α-thalassemia mutations in patients with anemia attending a tertiary care government hospital
2. Mutation Pattern of childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) and its prognostic correlation with induction outcome
3. Polymorphisms in the Glucocorticoid receptor gene and their associations with Hypothalamic-Pitutary-Adrenal Axis (HPAA) Suppression in Pediatric Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) Patients receiving Glucocorticoid
4. Testing for human BCR/ABL gene Translocation in CML patients

Symposium organized:

• A one-day workshop entitled ‘Workshop on Basic Molecular Biology Techniques’ has been held at Multidisciplinary Research Unit (MRU) of NRSMC&H on 28th January, 2023.
• A two-day workshop entitled ‘A Two- Day Hands-On-Training & Workshop on Nucleic acid Extraction and Quantitative PCR’ has been held at Multidisciplinary Research Unit (MRU) of NRSMC&H on 18^th & 19^th February, 2025.

Publication from MRU

• ‘Adenovirus an Increasing Concern in West Bengal - Manifestation, Detection, Prevention and Treatment’     ISSN: 2581-3226, 10.31080/ASMI.2023.06.1251
• Letter to Editor on “Impact of smart phone use on adolescence health in India” ISSN 0973-2063 (online) 0973-8894 (print)