Education:

Ph.D.
2000-Present 
Molecular Biology and Genetics Unit
Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research
Research Area: Human Molecular Genetics
Title: Molecular genetic aspects of non-syndromic deafness
Thesis Advisor: Dr. Anuranjan Anand, Associate Professor

M.Sc. (Integrated Biology)
1998-2000
School of Biological Science, Madurai Kamaraj University, Madurai, India
Project Title: PCR-SSCP analysis of cardiac Troponin T in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

B.Sc. (Biotechnology)
1995-1998
Dr. G. R. Damodaran College of Science
Bharathiar University, Coimbatore, 
India

Scope of current research work:

I am working on the molecular genetic aspects of non-syndromic deafness in humans. The incidence of congenital deafness is about 1 in 1000 newborns and half of those cases are due to genetic reasons. Non-syndromic deafness is genetically heterogeneous. It is estimated that mutations in about 100 different genes can cause this phenotype of which 35 genes are known till date and the hunt for the genes associated with deafness is still an unfinished symphony. The known genes involved in deafness code for a variety of proteins, which include structural proteins (unconventional myosins), transcription factors, molecules for ion homeostasis (gap junctions and ion channels), extracellular matrix components, proteases and several molecules of unknown function. Most of these genes have been identified by forward genetic approaches and positional cloning. In addition to identification of new genes, genetic studies of deafness in humans have resulted in identification of novel mutations in these genes. Functional studies of these mutations have widened our understanding of the pathways and mechanisms associated with these genes and the proteins they encode.

Publications:

1. RamShankar M, Girirajan S, Dagan O, Ravi Shankar HM, Jalvi R, Rangasayee R, Avraham KB, Anand A. Contribution of connexin26 (GJB2) mutations and founder effect to non-syndromic hearing loss in India. Journal of Medical Genetics. 2003 May;40(5):e68.