About the Faculty
Dr. Sushil Kumar Sahu joined the Department of Zoology, Siksha-Bhavana, Visva-Bharati in June 2022. Earlier to this, he worked as a post-doctoral fellow (4+ years) at the University of Pennsylvania, and Johns Hopkins University, United States. He also served at the Ravenshaw University, Asian institute of Public Health University and Gandhi Institute of Engineering and Technology University, India as a faculty of Zoology. Research achievements includes 21 research articles and 5 book chapters.
Awards and Professional Recognitions
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ICMR International Travel Award 2012, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Govt. of India
Life Memberships
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Indian Science Congress association (ISCA)
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Indian Immunology Society (IIS)
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The Cytometry Society of India (TCS)
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Microbiologist Society
Current Research Activities
Our ongoing research activities include:
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Epigenetic regulation of EBV in human B-cell: We focus on (a) the interaction of the viral tegument protein with cellular histone chaperone and intrinsic anti-viral factors Daxx-ATRX to generate latent episomes competent for transcription; (b) how the viral chromatin is organized by architectural factors CTCF and cohesins, that facilitate functional interactions between promoters and enhancers to regulate viral gene expression; (c) how viral and host master-regulatory transcription factors function cooperatively with chromatin organizing factors and epigenetic modifiers to establish dynamic gene expression programs that are responsive to changes in host cell conditions, including those associated with carcinogenesis. These studies will provide information on how EBV gene expression programs are coordinated with host-cell biology, and also provide new insights into the epigenetic control of viral genes associated with EBV carcinogenesis.
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Study of early and late event during KSHV infection of human B-cells: KSHV is associated with a number of human cancers in particular AIDS associated Kaposi sarcoma (KS) and pleural effusion lymphomas (PELs). How KSHV genomes persist in human cells and segregation occurs from parental cell to progeny cells is not known. Study will be conducted on (a) the role of the RBPJk-LANA complex in a time course infection; (b) KSHV abortive replication following de novo infection; (c) chromatin regulation of KSHV during early and late infection of primary B-cells. The success of this project will allow for the establishment of a comprehensive mechanistic view of KSHV infection and pathogenesis and provide new clues for the development of strategies to prevent and treat KSHV associated cancers and in the HIV population.
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​HIV infection and provirus maintenance in reservoir: We are investigating on (a) the mechanism of HIV provirus maintenance and identification of therapeutic target in all probable human reservoir (i.e. memory CD4+ T cells, Macrophages, Dendritic cells and Neurons); (b) function of cell cycle regulatory proteins at different phases during latent and active infection of HIV; (c) development of assays and commercialization for early and sensitive detection of both integrated provirus and infectious HIV particles at the level of single cell.