Alakesh Bera

Dr. Alakesh Bera is a tenure-track Assistant Professor in the Department of Anesthesiology at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS), serving as Director of the Malignant Hyperthermia Core Facility. His research spans neuromuscular disorders, cancer biology, immunology, and infectious disease, with emphasis on RYR1 gene mutations and their role in malignant hyperthermia susceptibility, cancer association, and neuromuscular dysfunction.

Dr. Bera's educational background includes:

• 1999: B.Sc. (Chemistry) from University of Calcutta, Kolkata, India
• 2001: M.Sc. (Chemistry) from University of Calcutta, Kolkata, India
• 2006: Ph.D. (Biochemistry) from Université d'Orléans, Orléans, France
• 2008: Post-Doc in Viral Oncology at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, USA
• 2009: Post-Doc in Molecular Medicine at Texas A & M University, College Station, USA

His primary research focuses on RYR1 mutational analysis using CRISPR/Cas9 organoid models to study muscle function and anesthetic response, alongside cancer immunotherapy development and biomarker discovery for TBI and infectious diseases. Current projects include DoD-funded RYR1 analysis ($600K), TBI biomarker identification, and cancer immunotherapy research.

Recent publications (2020-2024) demonstrate concentrated effort in cancer immunotherapy, particularly personalized TCR-engineered T cell therapies for solid tumors, while maintaining active investigation into RYR1-related disorders and the intersection of infectious disease with cancer comorbidity through biomarker studies.

Dr. Bera has received significant recognition including:

• Keynote speaker roles at ICMR2020 and AACR Cancer/Covid-19 meetings (2020)
• French research funding reviewer for ANSES (2019)
• State of Texas CPTIR Research Grant ($100K for pancreatic cancer, 2010-2012)
• CEFIPRA Doctoral Fellowship (2003-2006)
• CSIR-UGC (NET) Highest Fellowship from Govt. of India (2001)

He has secured substantial research funding including DoD-USUHS ($600K), startup funding, and the Texas CPTIR grant. Current collaborative projects span TBI biomarker discovery and cancer immunotherapy with NCI/NIH and other institutions.

As Director of the Malignant Hyperthermia Core Facility, Dr. Bera leads a multidisciplinary team developing CRISPR/Cas9 methodologies and advanced imaging techniques for neuromuscular dysfunction studies, while maintaining active collaborations across multiple research domains.