| Senior College : |
Dr Medha S. Rajadhyaksha, Ph.D., Associate Professor
(Head of the Department)
Dr.Hemlata Ramchandran, Ph.D., Associate Professor
Dr. Hema Subramaniam ,Ph.D., Associate Professor
Dr. Yasmin Khan, Ph.D., Associate Professor
Dr. Sree S Kumar, Ph.D., Assistant Professor
Mr. Chandrasheker Lingayat
Mr. Mangesh Lingayat
Mr. Rampratap Yadav |
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Life Sciences has become one of the most desirable options for students interested in pursuing higher education with an entry point into varied career options in industry and academics. A judicious combination of advanced aspects of traditional biological sciences of Zoology, Botany and Microbiology, this course has been evolved to meet the demands of the modern Biotechnology based world. The interdisciplinary approach and the emphasis on project work is the novel method used in this course to make it more contemporary and relevant.
For those keen in further studies at Sophia College, the B.Sc. program in Life Sciences leads to the M.Sc. program with a specialization in one of the most attractive fields of today, Neurosciences. For more than two decades our department has been experimenting on and developing a new paradigm of teaching – learning and addressing complex questions like basis of memory, cognition, neural development and degeneration using simple organisms. In 2004, formal recognition for this novel method of teaching -learning was given by University Grants Commission in the form of a substantial grant for `Innovative Teaching-Learning Through Hands-on Research in Neurosciences’. This special post graduate program, one of its kind in the country, provides opportunity to develop creative and responsible personalities, in addition to providing professional training in Neurosciences. |
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The department of Life Sciences was started in Sophia College in 1977 offering, for the first time an innovative integrated approach to biological sciences in the form of Broad Based Integrated Biology Undergraduate Program in Life sciences. In 1980 the M.Sc. programme in Life Sciences was launched which over the years has evolved into one of the finest post graduate programme in the country. Offering a unique and most contemporary specialization, it is Mumbai University's only Post Graduate Centre for M.Sc. Life Sciences (Neurosciences). In 2000 recognizing the potential of the offered course Department of Science and Technology funded the infrastructure development of the Department’s laboratory leading to establishment of well equipped DST- FIST Sponsored (2000-2005) Department of Life Sciences Laboratories. |
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| Further recognition came from the University Grants Commission as they funded the Innovative Program in Neurosciences- First in the country. Built slowly and steadily, the Life Science department has now been recognized for Ph.D. Program in Applied Biology of the University of Mumbai and is supporting Junior Research Fellows for research projects in cell and molecular Neurosciences. |
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Academic activities that foster independence and innovation:
- Hands-on research projects- addressing questions in biology
- Peer teaching workshops/ demonstrations conducted by seniors to induct the juniors into good lab practices, basic instrumentation and protocols
- Seminars/causeries by students and regular lab meetings
- Journal Club-discussion on recent scientific publications..continued online
- Presentations/ participation by students at any National Level Conference/meeting
- Summer vacation research programs for in house and students from other institutions
- List-serve (yahoo group) to network students for resource mobilization
Annual events for unique teaching learning:
- Annual Sophia Nobel Oration
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Talk on the work of the Nobel Laureates of the year
- Annual lecture workshop
- Usually sponsored by National Science Academies
- Annual Khandala Seminar
- Two day program including presentations by students and a nature walk
- Annual Experimental techniques/ Model Systems & frontiers Workshops-
- Conducted by experts invited from various laboratories
- Annual Industry-Academic interaction/ visit
- with translational activity as focus.
- Annual Academic Festival -Ananya
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Creative interphase between Science and Society
Our Benchmarks:
All our students will–
- Be conversant with all areas of biology to confidently form informed opinion.
- Develop communication skills to articulate effectively.
- Be computer literate.
- Develop leadership qualities and team spirit.
- Be able to analyze and take up clear position on controversial issues in biology / society.
- Intervene in policy decisions, where ever possible.
- Be familiar with the Nobel Prize work of the year.
- Of course, get good marks in their University exams.
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| Dr Medha Rajadhyaksha: Ph.D. (1986), Pune University, awarded `Adersh Shikshak Puraskar’ of the Maharashtra state government in 2008 |
Interested in……
- Evolution – The long argument...
- Popularizing Science – building bridges
- Education for Independence – Developing vocational courses for Std X dropouts
- Research : Neuroprotection, survival and regeneration of neuronal and glial cells dying due to disease, aging and exposure to hypoxia or radiation is of utmost concern. Drug induced neuroprotection and its mechanism have been focus of research and is being investigated using in vivo ( C. elegans) and in vitro ( neuronal cell lines) at cellular and molecular level.
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| Dr.Hemlata Ramchandran: Ph.D. (1988), Mumbai University, Ex-member of the Local Management Committee and College Representative of Teachers Union |
Interested in......
- Biodiversity and conservation- global and local
- Education through films and film making- for critical evaluation of the real and unreal world around us
- Activism for sustained quality education – Involved in peace and justice for teachers and the taught.
- Research: Cognition and its modulation under changing environment is of basic as well as clinical interest. Development and standardization of simple protocols for monitoring electrophysiological parameters for cognitive abilities is being carried out. In addition, unconventional model systems like the fungus, Dictyostelium discoidium, and traditional system like chick embryo are being used to screen and understand mechanism of action of neuroactive substances.
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| Dr. Hema Subramaniam: Ph.D. (1990), Cancer Research Institute, Mumbai University ,Staff In charge of Instrumentation and Laboratory |
Interested in….
- Developing Good Labs and Good Lab Practices – inculcating work ethics in everybody who works in the lab.
- Deconstructing the life into biomolecules – getting students hooked to biochemistry
- Bioinformatics and more -Encouraging the use of computers in biology
- Research : Behaviour and its alteration under various circumstances are contemporary questions being addressed by neuroscientists. Using innovative approach, behaviour paradigms have been standardized and are being used to trace the neural circuit / cellular basis involved using insect model systems such as mosquitoes and Drosophila. Interestingly, this study also provides information of immediate practical importance about biodiversity and control of vector borne diseases.
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| Dr. Yasmin Khan: Ph.D. (1988) Foundation for Medical Research, Mumbai University, Post Doctoral Fellow - NII, New Delhi and TIFR, Mumbai , Staff In Charge of Suman Tulsiani Center and member of Local Management Committee: |
Interested in….
- Establishing links – Conduct interactive sessions of Junior and Senior College students with scientist to attract the best in basic sciences.
- Nurturing Students in classrooms and cells in Petri dishes - develop expertise in in vitro systems and more.
- The Khandala Seminar – A weekend out door for interactive sessions on science and nature with invited experts.
- Research: Neurodevelopment, the formation of the nervous system with all its complexities, is not yet clearly understood. Using an elegant and simple model, embryonic zebra fish, the development of the brain is being investigated at the cellular and molecular level. An integral part of this question is stem cell biology during development and during regeneration. In vitro systems are being used to zero down to the specific events of survival, growth and death in neural cells during these processes.
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Dr. Sree S Kumar: Ph.D. (2009) National Institute of Oceanography, Staff In Charge of Computers |
Interested in….
- Bench work – for setting up techniques never done before in the lab
- Fund raising for student support – help writing projects
- Reducing generation gap- sensitive and vocal about professional needs of the new generation
- Research: Neuro-genomics provides some critical information for drug development. Identifying novel model systems to enhance perception and bridge the gap between molecules and various cellular processes and their connection to human health.
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| Mr. Chandrasheker Lingayat |
| Expert in getting the right material for the right experiment. Keenly involved in day to day lab administration. |
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| Mr. Rampratap Yadav |
| Expert in chemical preparation and in setting up lab neatly for every practical. Computer savvy and involved in instrumentation upkeep and update. |
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| Mr. Mangesh Lingayat |
| Expert in good lab practices, keen to keep lab spic and span. Interested in Urbanoponics and more. |
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| Subject combinations with maximum students strength is as follows |
| FYBSC : |
| 1. Life Science Chemistry Statistics |
30 students |
| 2. Life Science Chemistry Physics |
30 students |
| 3. Life Science Zoology Maths |
10 students |
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| SYBSC : |
| 1. Life Science Chemistry |
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| 2. Life Science Zoology |
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| TYBSC : |
| 1. Life Science Single Major |
6 Units |
| 2. Life Science Double Major |
3 Units and 3 units in Bio-chemistry |
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| Post graduates : |
Master of Science (MSc) by papers
Number of seats 10 (7 university & 3 college seates) |
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Note: For admission to university seats students have to apply to the University of Mumbai after the declaration of BSc results. The college seats are for the college students and the admission is on the basis of university guidelines and merit |
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- UGC Grant under the ‘Innovative Programme Scheme’
- Department of Science and Technology’s ‘Fund for Improvement in Science Technology’ (DST-FIST)
- Board of Research in Nuclear Sciences (BRNS) grant
- Lady Tata Memorial Trust (LTMT) grant:
- Major research grant from the Department of Science and Technology
- Mumbai University Minor Research Grants received by the staff
- M.Sc. students awarded the prestigious LTMT scholarship
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- International Neuroscience Conference (Hyderabad, May 6-8 2004) - Special consolation prize by Anahita Gouri for her presentation ‘Acetylcholinesterase Activity and Isozyme pattern in normal and Lithium treated Developing Chick Brain’
- Conference on ‘Neuroscience: From Basic to Clinic – XXII Annual Conference of Indian Academy of Neurosciences (January 28-30, 2005) - Special honourable mention by the judges for Pratibha Boga for her poster “Determination of Nitric Oxide Levels in Sera of Leprosy Patients”
- DAE/BRNS Life Sciences symposium on oxidative stress and its applications (9-21 December, 2005) - Best poster presentation award to Dhariwala Fatima for the poster ‘ Human Astroglial Cell Line U373 MG As A Model System To Study Effect Of Lithium On Oxidative Stress band role of Cdk5’.
- 24th National Conference of the Indian Academy of Neurosciences (Lucknow 17-20 December,2006) - Best poster presentation award to Aparna Shah for ‘Regenerating Brain of Earthworm as a Model System to Study Differentiation of Monoaminergic Neurons in Adult Animals’
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- Tata Institute of Fundamental Research /National Centre for Biological Sciences
- National Centre for Cell Sciences
- Advanced Centre for Training Research and Education in Cancer
- Bhabha Atomic Research Centre
- National Institute of Research in Reproductive Health
- Foundation for Medical Research
- University of Louisville
- University of Bath
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