Biography

Dr. Sarkar is an Assistant Professor at The Ohio State University (OSU) in the Department of Internal Medicine where she leads a research program focused on host immune responses in sepsis and sepsis induced acute lung injury. Dr. Sarkar received her PhD in Molecular and Cellular Biology in India. She then perused her postdoctoral training at OSU where she later joined as a faculty member. Her research program has been continuously supported by extramural and intramural grants. Dr. Sarkar is an ad-hoc reviewer of multiple study sections (American Thoracic Society, Alpha-1 Foundation and NIH). In addition to her research program, Dr. Sarkar is also extremely passionate career development, mentoring and teaching the next generation scientists. She is the Graduate Faculty Liaison, Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program (BSGP), OSU, College of Medicine (Physiology and Cellular Biology Emphasis Area) for BSGP graduate program. She is also currently involved in physiology and grantsmanship training courses for Human Physiology and Diseases (PHYSIO 3100) and BSGP programs. She is an active member of FAME and WIMS involved in academic development of junior faculty and women in scientific career pathways.

Research Interests

Dr. Sarkar is a PhD trained basic scientist pursuing translational research with a long-term goal to develop a new class of therapeutics to combat vascular injury in pulmonary infections, sepsis and acute lung injury. The underlying tenet of her research program is focused on regulation of monocyte/macrophage function and host immune responses, cellular mechanisms and metabolic changes regulating inflammasome function, exosome biology and immunology to uncover strategies to exploit the immune system for the benefit of human health.

Current Research

• Investigating the role of monocyte released extracellular vesicles (EVs) in endothelial dysfunction.
• Regulation of cell fate by monocyte derived EVs
• Regulation of inflammasome by monocytes and macrophages in sepsis and ALI
• Role of monocyte and mesenchymal cell interaction in pulmonary fibrosis.

Active Funding

Education and Training

• Postdoctoral Research: Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
• Ph.D: CSIR Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Jadavpur University, India. (Molecular and Cellular Biology)
• Masters in Science: (University of Kolkata, India (Rank: 1st) (Zoology)
• Bachelors in Science.: (University of Kolkata, India (Rank: 3rd) (Zoology)

Honors

• Rising Star Award, Department of Internal Medicine, OSU College of Medicine, The Ohio State University.2 022
• FAME Career Development Award for Researchers, Center for faculty Mentoring and Engagement, OSU College of Medicine. 2020
• ARDS scholar award, American Lung Association, USA. 2010
• ARDS Scholar Award, 2010 - 2011
• American Thoracic Society (ATS) Travel Award, ATS 2008, Toronto, Canada, 2008
• Best Poster Award, Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, 2008
• Best Oral Presentation Award, Dorothy M. Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute, 2007
• Distinguished Post Doctoral Award, Dorothy M. Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute, 2006 - 2007
• Best Poster Award, fifth annual OSUWMC Graduate and Postgraduate Research Day, The Ohio State University, 2006
• Best Poster Award, Dorothy M. Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute, 2006
• NIH Post Doctoral Travel Scholarship, NIH Post Doctoral Travel Scholarship and Keystone Symposium, 2005
• Best Poster Award, International Conference on Natural Antioxidants and Free Radicals in Human Health and Radiation Biology NFHR, 2001
• Senior research fellow, Center of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), 2000 - 2002
• Best Poster Award, Society of Biological Chemists (India), 1999
• Junior Research Fellowship, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), 1998 - 2000
• Gold medal, University of Calcutta, 1998
• Outstanding student, University of Calcutta, 1996
• National level merit award, University of Calcutta, 1993

Professional Activities

• Judge, The Ohio State University, 2011 - present
• Leukemia and Lymphoma Society - Capital City Half Marathon, 2009 - present

Select Publications (list of high impact pubs)

• Mitra S, Exline M, Habyarimana F, Gavrilin M, Baker P, Masters SL, Wewers MD, Sarkar A.(2018) Microparticulate Caspase-1 Regulates Gasdermin-D and Pulmonary Vascular Endothelial Cell Injury. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol. doi: 10.1165/rcmb.2017-0393OC.
• Mitra S and Sarkar A (2019) Microparticulate P2X7 and GSDM-D mediated regulation of functional IL-1b release. Purinergic Signaling. 15(1):119-123. doi: 10.1007/s11302-018-9640-5.
• Martin BN, Wang C, Zhnag CJ, Kang Z, Gulen MF, Zepp JA, Zhao J, Bian G, Do JS, Min B, Pavicic PG Jr, El-Sanadi C, Fox PL, Akitsu A, Iwakura Y, Sarkar A, Dubyak GR, Li X et. al. T cell-intrinsic ASC critically promotes T(H)17 mediated experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. Nat. Immunol. 2016; 17(5):583-92. doi: 10.1038/ni.3389