Dr Nitin Chitranshi

Senior Lecturer - School of Science and Technology

Biography

Dr Chitranshi has joined University of New England in 2024 as a full time Senior Lecturer in School of Science and Technology. He is an accomplished researcher and academician with a diverse background in pharmaceutical sciences, clinical neuroscience, biomedical sciences and computational biology. He holds a Bachelor's and Master's degree in Pharmacy, and a Doctoral degree in Clinical Medicine from Macquarie University, Australia. Before joining UNE, Dr Chitranshi has worked as a Lecturer (Level B) and Unit Convenor of Clinical Neuroscience at Macquarie University.

Dr Chitranshi’s current research focus revolves around unraveling the molecular mechanisms linked to irreversible vision loss in primary open-angle glaucoma, Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Dr. Chitranshi's contributions extend to peer-reviewed publications that shed light on paradigm shifts in ophthalmic diagnosis and care models for individuals with impaired vision in various neurodegenerative disorders of the central nervous system (CNS). His proficiency in proteomics, metabolomics, and bioinformatics enhances the understanding of complex diseases like MS and AD at the molecular level.

With a prolific academic record, he has authored more than 70 research publications and actively participated in over 100 national and international conferences. He has enriched his experience as a Visiting Scientist at prestigious institutions, including Cambridge University (UK), University of Miami (USA), Medical University of Wein (Austria), University of Strasbourg (France), University of Wurzburg (Germany), and University de Murcia (Spain).

Qualifications

BPharm (Ram Eesh Institute of Voc and Technical Education, India)

MPharm (SASTRA University, India)

PhD (Clinical Medicine, Macquarie University, Australia)

Awards

2023 Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA)

2021 Fellow of Linnean Society of London (FLS)

2018 Dean’s Award for Excellence in Higher Degree Research, Macquarie University

2017 Early career travel grant award from German Neuroscience Society (GNS) to attend 12th Gottingen Meeting of GNS, Germany

2017 Winner of Translational Vision Summit (TVS), ARVO-ASIA 2017, Brisbane, Australia

2017 Macquarie University Skipper Early Career Research Travel Award, NSW, Australia

2016 Macquarie University Postgraduate Research Fund (PGRF) and been awarded a Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) Commendation, NSW, Australia.

2013 Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Senior Research Fellowship (SRF) medical. IRIS Cell No. 2012-25580.

Teaching Areas

Human Physiology (PSIO411)

Clinical Biochemistry (BCH341/541)

Science for Nurses (HHSC112)

Introductory to Human Physiology2 (PSIO120)

Primary Research Area/s

Clinical neuroscience; Drug designing; Nanotechnology; Drug delivery; Gene therapy; Bioinformatics; Chemoinformatics

Research Interests

Dr. Chitranshi research interest is in understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, Glaucoma, and multiple sclerosis. His research aims to unravel the complex pathophysiological processes that contribute to neuronal degeneration and loss of function.

Molecular Pathways: Investigating signaling pathways and genetic factors that influence neurodegeneration.
Biomarkers: Identifying biomarkers for early detection and progression of neurodegenerative disorders.
Therapeutic Targets: Exploring novel therapeutic targets and developing potential interventions to mitigate disease progression.
Signal Transduction: Studying the roles of various signaling molecules and their impact on neuronal health.
Neuroinflammation: Examining the role of neuroinflammation in retinal and brain disorders and its regulation by different molecular agents.
Cellular Models: Utilizing cellular and animal models to understand the molecular basis of neural disorders.
Retinal Degeneration: Investigating the mechanisms of retinal cell death and developing strategies to protect against retinal degeneration.
Glaucoma: Exploring the pathogenesis of glaucoma and identifying new therapeutic targets to prevent optic nerve damage.

Vision Restoration: Working on innovative approaches to restore vision through neuroprotective and regenerative strategies.

Research grants:

2023: The Trustee for Hillcrest Foundation $225,000
Title: Retinoid-X- receptor agonists as novel neuroprotectants in glaucoma
2023: NHMRC Ideas Grant $1.2 M
Title: Let there be light- Modified Serpin as a Dual Function Therapeutic Agent in Glaucoma
2023: MNDRA $100,000
Title: Nucleoredoxin (NRX) a novel gene therapy target against TDP-43 multifaceted pathogenic mechanisms.
2021: IP Development Fund $20,000
Title: Developing Neuroserpin molecule for neuroprotective translational applications
2021: The Ophthalmic Research Institute of Australia (ORIA) $49,811
Title: The next generation of medicine-Gene Therapy for Glaucoma
2020: NHMRC Ideas Grant $650,000
Title: Retinoid X receptors and Rexinoids: Harnessing their Neuroprotective Effects in the Glaucoma
2020: The Ophthalmic Research Institute of Australia (ORIA) $49,440
Title: Modulating neuroserpin using a gene therapy technique to reduce oxidative damage in glaucoma
2020: Macquarie University Seeding Grant $49,859
Title: Mapping Progressive Retinal and Brain Proteomics markers in APP/PS1 mouse model of AD- Can cannabis effectively reverse these changes?
2018: NHMRC Project grant $640,000
Title: Targeting neuroserpin-plasmin interaction to protect the retina in glaucoma

Research Supervision Experience

7 years of HDR supervision experience. Supervised 8 HDR/PhD/ Master completions.

Publications

Dr Chitranshi has published more than 70 peer reviewed articles in high-ranking journals. The list of updated publication can be assessed here

G Parilla, V Gupta,….. N Chitranshi et al (2024) The role of myelin in neurodegeneration: implications for drug targets and neuroprotection strategies. Rev Neurosci. Nov 22;35(3):271-292. doi: 10.1515/revneuro-2023-0081.
S Mirshahvaladi, N Chitranshi et al (2024) Quantitative Proteomics Reveal Region-Specific Alterations in Neuroserpin-Deficient Mouse Brain and Retina: Insights into Serpini1 Function. Proteomes. Mar 14;12(1):7. doi: 10.3390/proteomes12010007.
A Salkar,….. N Chitranshi et al (2024). Glial Cell Activation and Immune Responses in Glaucoma: A Systematic Review of Human Postmortem Studies of the Retina and Optic Nerve. Aging Dis. Mar 2. doi: 10.14336/AD.2024.0103.
J Welsh,…. N Chitranshi et al (2024). Minimal information for studies of extracellular vesicles (MISEV2023): From basic to advanced approaches. J Extracell Vesicles. Feb;13(2):e12404. doi: 10.1002/jev2.12404.
D Basavarajappa, V Gupta,….. N Chitranshi (2023) Signalling pathways and cell death mechanisms in glaucoma: Insights into the molecular pathophysiology. Mol Aspects Med. Dec;94:101216. doi: 10.1016/j.mam.2023.101216.
S Sheriff, T Shen, ….. N Chitranshi et al (2023) Retinal thickness and vascular parameters using optical coherence tomography in Alzheimer’s disease: a meta-analysis. Neural Regen Res. Nov;18(11):2504-2513. doi: 10.4103/1673-5374.371380.
D Basavarajappa, V Gupta, N Chitranshi et al (2023) Anti-inflammatory Effects of Siponimod in a Mouse Model of Excitotoxicity-Induced Retinal Injury. Mol Neurobiol. Dec;60(12):7222-7237. doi: 10.1007/s12035-023-03535-0.
N Chitranshi, et al (2023) Neuroserpin Gene Therapy Inhibits Retinal Ganglion Cell Apoptosis and Promotes Functional Preservation in Glaucoma. Molecular Therapy, Mar 10:S1525-0016(23)00129-6. doi: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2023.03.008.
S Faezehi, A Morteza….N Chitranshi et al (2023) Extracellular Vesicles as reconfigurable therapeutics for eye diseases: Promises and hurdles, Progress in Neurobiology, 2023, 102437, ISSN 0301-0082, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pneurobio.2023.102437.
L Deng, V Gupta, M Abyadeh, N Chitranshi et al (2023) Oxidative stress induced dysfunction of protein synthesis in 661W mice photoreceptor cells. Proteomes 11 (2), 12.
D Basaravarajappa, V. Gupta, N Chitranshi et al (2023) Siponimod exerts neuroprotective effects on the retina and higher visual pathway through neuronal S1PR1 in experimental glaucoma. Neural Regen Res. 2023 Apr;18(4):840-848. doi: 10.4103/1673-5374.344952.
D Basaravarajappa, V. Gupta,…… N Chitranshi et al (2023) S1PR1 signaling attenuates apoptosis of retinal ganglion cells via modulation of cJun/Bim cascade and Bad phosphorylation in a mouse model of glaucoma. FASEB J. Jan;37(1):e22710. doi: 10.1096/fj.202201346R.
DS Sharma, S Wadhwa, M Gulati, B Kumar, N Chitranshi, et al (2023) Chitosan modified 5-fluorouracil nanostructured lipid carriers for treatment of diabetic retinopathy in rats: A new dimension to an anticancer drug. Int J Biol Macromol. 2023 Jan 1;224:810-830. doi: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2022.10.168.

Memberships

The Alzheimer's Association International Society to Advance Alzheimer's Research and Treatment (ISTAART)

Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO)

American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy (ASGCT)