Dr. Mainak Bardhan is a physician–scientist with advanced training in Genetics, Genomics, Pathology, and Epidemiology, specializing in neurological disorders, neuromuscular diseases,oncology, rare disorders, and infectious diseases. His work is strongly grounded in public health, driven by a deep commitment to translating biomedical research into meaningful health outcomes.
He is currently pursuing his PhD in Human Genetics and Genomics at the The John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics (HIHG), University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, where he trains under the joint mentorship of Prof. Danny Reinberg, PhD, and Prof. Ramin Shiekhattar, PhD—two internationally recognized leaders in chromatin biology, epigenetics, and gene regulation.
Early Research Foundations
Dr. Bardhan’s journey in clinical research began early during his medical degree training MBBS at Pandit. Jawahar Lal Nehru Memorial Medical College through the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Short Term Studentship (STS)program. His initial work focused on Sickle Cell Anemia at the Department of Biochemistry and the Sickle Cell Institute in Chhattisgarh, laying a strong foundation in disease-oriented research.
Throughout medical school, he actively pursued diverse research experiences, serving as a Medical Student Research Trainee at the CSIR–Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad and CSIR–Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (IGIB), New Delhi, where he also worked as a Visiting Medical Student. These experiences broadened his exposure to molecular biology, genomics, and translational research.
International Research Experience
In the penultimate year of his medical education, Dr. Bardhan presented his research at 25th International Student Congress Of (bio)Medical Sciences(ISCOMS) organised by the University of Groningen, Netherlands, marking his early engagement with international scientific collaboration.
During his final year of medical school, he was selected as the only medical student from India to participate in the highly competitive Amgen Scholars Program. Under technical mentorship from Harvard University, he conducted research at Tsinghua University’s School of Pharmaceutical Sciences (SPS) in Beijing, consistently ranked among the world’s leading universities.
His research on Solute Carrier Transporters (SLCs) in the lab of Prof. Ligong Chen was showcased at the 2019 Amgen Asia Scholars Symposium held at the National University of Singapore (NUS), highlighting his contributions to molecular and pharmaceutical sciences.
Neurogenetics & National Research Initiatives
Following completion of his medical degree, Dr. Bardhan joined Prof.dr.Atchayaram Nalini,MD,PhD,MBA at National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS) in Bengaluru, India, as a Senior Research Fellow in the Department of Neurology. His work there focused on understanding the clinical, epidemiological, genetics of various neuromuscular disorders working in close collaboration with national and international clinicians and scientists.
At NIMHANS, he played a key role in spearheading the development of the National Registry for Rare and Other Inherited Disorders (NRROID)—a large, multicentric initiative led by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). This project represents a major national effort to advance rare disease research, diagnosis, and policy planning in India.
As Physician scientist
Dr. Bardhan got appointed by The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), New Delhi, which is the apex body in India for the formulation, coordination and promotion of biomedical research, as a Physician Scientist and joined ICMR-National Institute for Research in Bacterial Infections There he continued his work at the intersection of clinical research, genetics, and genomics, with active involvement in bacterial genetics and genomics. His research there focused on Molecular pathogenesis,Antimicrobial resistance,Bacterial strain evolution,Genomic disease surveillance of various enteric pathogens
Through this work, he aims to strengthen evidence-based public health strategies, inform policy decisions, and contribute to improved community health and disease prevention.
Research Philosophy
At the core of Dr. Bardhan’s work is a belief that rigorous science, when integrated with clinical insight and public health awareness, can transform patient care and population health. His research is guided by curiosity, collaboration, and a commitment to global health equity.