معرفی
Shiladitya DasSarma, PhD is a Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. He is also affiliated with the Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology (IMET), where his research laboratory is located. Dr. DasSarma serves as chair of the Environment, Health, and Society Foundation in the MEES graduate program and is the UMB institutional representative. He directs the interprofessional course "Climate Change, Health, and Society" (CIPP 650) and co-founded the Climate Change, Health, and Society consortium.
Dr. DasSarma's educational background includes:
- B.S. (Honors) in Chemistry from Indiana University
- Ph.D. in Biochemistry from Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Postdoctoral Fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School
As a pioneering microbiologist, Dr. DasSarma is well-known for his contributions to the genomics, molecular biology, and biotechnology of Archaea, particularly extremophiles and haloarchaea. His research spans from fundamental studies of microbial adaptation to extreme environments to applied work developing gas vesicle nanoparticles for vaccines and therapeutics. More recently, he has expanded his research focus to include climate change and its impacts on health. His laboratory was established soon after the discovery of the Archaea and has led the sequencing project on the first Haloarchaeon, Halobacterium sp. NRC-1.
Dr. DasSarma's work has resulted in over 170 scientific publications that span microbiology, genomics, biotechnology, and climate change. His recent publications show a strong trend toward interdisciplinary work connecting microbial research with climate change impacts on human health and developing innovative solutions for environmental challenges. His research interests have evolved from fundamental archaeal biology to include applications in medicine, environmental health, and climate solutions.
His notable scientific awards include:
- Sustainability Champion, University of Maryland Baltimore
- MacVicar Award for Leadership in Climate Action, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Dr. DasSarma has advised numerous students throughout his career and has secured significant research funding for his work on extremophiles and climate change. He has developed an interprofessional course on Climate Change, Health, and Society that brings together students from multiple disciplines to address climate challenges. He also launched the UMB Provost's Climate Health & Resiliency Summer Internship program, which has already made significant impacts through student-led initiatives addressing environmental justice issues in Baltimore communities.
His laboratory at the Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology (IMET) focuses on studying life in extreme environments and mechanisms of adaptation to stressors, using a combination of genetics, genomics, bioinformatics, transcriptomics, and other approaches. The lab has been instrumental in developing bioengineered gas vesicle nanoparticles for therapeutic and antigenic protein delivery and vaccine development.
