Mr. Abhishesh Bajracharya was born and raised in Lalitpur, Nepal. He completed his Bachelors degree in Biotechnology from WhiteHouse International College (affiliated to Purbanchal University) in 2017 and worked as a research assistant on projects related to improvements in plant tissue culture techniques. He is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Plant Molecular Biology from the University of Mississippi, focusing on elucidating the transcriptional mechanisms of temperature dependent morphological changes in plants. Some of his areas of expertise are: Plant Molecular Biology, Transcriptional Regulation, Plant physiology, Genetic Engineering, Protein purification, Confocal Microscopy.
Binisha Shrestha is an Entrepreneur/blogger/activist- Return to Nepal Initiative. With a background in film and communications, she’s always been a storyteller driven by a need to understand and influence the audience. She is a relentless problem solver with unquenchable curiosity who can’t help but analyze and try to improve everything she sees. She believes that technology can revolutionize how people learn, communicate and create. She’s passionate about shaping products and services that help people focus on what they do best: be human. After living in USA for almost a decade she moved back to Nepal a year ago. She was born and raised in Lalitpur, Nepal.
Mr. Uprety was born in Lisankhu Sindhupalchok Nepal. He completed his schooling from Sindhupalchok and Darjeeling and then moved to Kathmandu for further study. Dipak moved to Qatar in 2007 to work in a multinational company. Since then, he has gained experiences working in managerial positions for various multinational companies. These multinational companies included Petrochemical, Energy, Oil & Gas, and other sectors.
During his professional career, Dipak has gained trainings and skills in Procurement and Supply Chain Management, ISO 9001 based Quality Management System, Human Resources, Administration, Asset and Project Management, and more.
Mr. Uprety has appointed as Director of Finance and Administration in March 2023 at NIRI.
Dr. Hem Raj Dhakal was born in Surkhet, Nepal. He taught English in various high schools and colleges. After completing a master’s degree in English Literature from Nepal, he moved to the United States to pursue another master’s degree in Peace Studies and Conflict Transformation and Ed. D. in Organizational Leadership and Development. Dr. Dhakal also established two social enterprises and one nonprofit organization in the United States. In addition, he serves as a secretary and assistant director of a nonprofit organization located in Washington DC.
Milan was born and raised in Biratnagar, Nepal. He moved to the USA in 2008 to pursue additional undergraduate work, followed by graduate work in Mathematics and in Biostatistics. After completing his terminal degree, he accepted a postgraduate position at Yale University, followed by subsequent faculty appointments at the University of Kansas School of Medicine, and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. He primarily collaborates with researchers in the academic health centers and provides support in grant development, study design, data analysis, and dissemination of findings. He also serves as co-chair of the “Strategic Initiatives Committee” within the American Statistical Association, and as a vice-president/president-elect for Central Arkansas Statistical Association. In his spare time, he enjoys cooking and watching movies.
Dr. Pant is a Public Health Researcher with a specialty in Injury Prevention research, Road Safety, and Safety Promotion. He has over a decade long experience in these fields. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Public Health (RSPH) and visiting Fellow at the University of Bristol (UoB) since 2009. He also a member of Britain-Nepal Academic Council (BNAC). His expertise includes: conducting social and public health surveys and qualitative studies; engaging community and stakeholders for public health and behavior change interventions; dissemination/ communication using social/media. He has delivered an annual session on Child Injury Prevention to Global Health students (iBSc) at the University of Bristol since 2011. He received Gold Medal from the President of Nepal for his Higher Education achievement. He is continuously promoting injury prevention and road safety in Nepal through social media and newspaper columns. He is also a member of the Editorial Board and reviewer for a number of international peer-reviewed journals.
Dr. Rupendra Shrestha, a native of Nepal, is a dedicated research scientist specializing in human pluripotent stem cell research, retinal differentiation, and gene editing with CRISPR/Cas9. He earned his PhD in Medical Sciences from Tzu Chi University in Taiwan, with a focus on translating biomedical research into clinical applications for ophthalmic research. He also holds an MSc in Human Genetics from Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research, India, and a BSc in Medical Laboratory Technology from Nobel College, Nepal. He has significantly contributed to ophthalmology by developing innovative models to study retinal degeneration. His work has earned prestigious awards, including the Fight for Sight Postdoctoral Fellowship and the NEI Prize for the 3-D Retina Organoid Challenge (peer recognition). Passionate about advancing retinal disease research and exploring therapeutic approaches, he has published multiple peer-reviewed articles and is actively involved in scientific communities, including ISSCR and AACR. Beyond research, Dr. Shrestha is keen on entrepreneurship and is committed to mentoring the next generation of scientists, blending his scientific expertise with a vision for innovation and leadership in health sciences, developmental biology, and regenerative medicine.
Dr. Subash Adhikari was born in Hetauda, Nepal. After completing his Bachelor’s degree in Physics, he moved to the University of Pune, India to pursue Master’s in Physics specializing in energy-related material research. He returned to Nepal and worked as a material science researcher in Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) as well as a lecturer in various colleges. Later he completed his post-graduate research and Ph.D. from Sungkyunkwan University, South Korea. Currently, he is working as a research consultant for material science and technology in various universities and private firms in Nepal.
Tulasi Acharya was born in the South Asian country of Nepal. He also taught English and Journalism courses at colleges in Nepal, where he authored textbooks on mass communication and journalism. Acharya published numerous short stories, poems, and articles in Nepali journals, national newspapers and online. He moved to the United States in 2008 to pursue a Master’s degree in creative writing. He holds a Ph.D. in Public Administration from Florida Atlantic University, USA. Acharya has a Master’s degree in Women’s Studies and a degree in Professional Writing and Creative Writing.
His research interests are marginalized communities, people with disabilities, women and gender, and policies. He is interested in narrative analysis as a method and critical theory and post-colonialism as a framework. His interest is also to analyze literary and autobiographical works and their significance in formation of social policies.
Dr. Dulal, born in Gauradaha, Jhapa, eastern part of Nepal, attended rural government schools before pursuing education and training in biosciences across Nepal, South Korea, Africa, and the USA. He earned a BSc in microbiology from Tribhuvan University, Nepal (2000-2003), a master’s in molecular biology from Sun Moon University, South Korea (2004-2006), focusing on vaccine candidacy for Clostridium botulinum, and a Ph.D. in molecular biosciences from New Mexico State University, USA (2009-2013), researching vancomycin resistance mechanisms in Staphylococcus aureus.
Following his Ph.D., Dr. Dulal undertook a post-doctoral fellowship at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, USA (2014-2015), focusing on translational research in gut microbiome and colorectal cancer. He returned to Nepal thereafter, engaging in diverse scientific and public health activities spanning One Health, molecular biosciences, translational clinical research, and community-based interventions. Dr. Dulal is also a board-certified Medical Science Liaison. He has a keen interest in antimicrobial resistance, One Health, diagnostics, pharmaceutical & health system strengthening in Nepal.
Mr. Subedi was born in Parbat, Nepal. He holds a bachelor’s degree in agriculture from the Institute of Agriculture and Animals Sciences (IAAS), Tribhuvan University, Nepal. After completion of his undergraduate degree, he worked for a short time in plant pathology lab at the Nepal Agriculture Research Council (NARC) and moved to the United States for graduate studies in plant pathology. He achieved his MS in plant pathology from Auburn University, Alabama. During his MS degree, Mr. Subedi got trained on epidemiological studies on small grain crops and mycotoxin contamination. Mr. Subedi is currently pursuing his PhD in plant pathology at Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois. His research focuses on fungal genetics, soybean pathology, and biological control of plant diseases. His Interest lies in Fungal Genetics, Plant Disease Epidemiology, Biological , Control of Plant Diseases, Plant Disease Diagnosis, Biostatistics, Improved Agriculture Practices and Rural Development.
Dr. Joshi is a native of Bajhang, Far Western Nepal. He received his B.S. and M.S. degrees in chemistry from Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning in India. Following his graduation in 2015, he joined the Ph.D. program in chemistry at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, USA. He is currently working on the development of macrophages as cell-based imaging and drug delivery tools, and the concomitant effects of functionalization on macrophage biology. Dr. Joshi did his PhD in Chemistry with a multidisciplinary skillset in the field of medicinal chemistry, cell-based drug delivery, & organic synthesis while simultaneously working to start a start-up pharmaceutical to make generic drugs and herbal-based medicine in Nepal.
Dr. Joshi is an ardent proponent of the upliftment of rural Nepal via quality education and youth entrepreneurship.
Dr. Dhakal was raised in Surkhet where he completed his early education. He completed his high school and undergraduate from Kathmandu. Later he completed his Masters from India and PhD from South Korea. He was a Research professor from 2016 to 2020, before moving to the USA. He was principal investigator and co-investigator for the project funded by the national research foundation(NRF), Korea. He has served on the editorial board for different journals as Frontier of Microbiology, Molecules, EC Micron, Nepal Journal of Biotechnology, etc.
Mr. Kafle was born in Udayapur, Nepal. He received his MA in Economics from Tribhuvan University in 2002 and an MBA from Finland in 2011. Currently, he is pursuing PhD in Economic Geography from the Turku School of Economics, University of Turku, Finland. Since commencing his doctoral studies in 2022, he has focused on research in aid, policy, and development discourse, incorporating specialization in policy intervention and sustainable agriculture and food production practices. In between, he served 10 years in Nepal Telecom, 5 years as a lecturer in economics, and 10 years as an entrepreneur of a trading company based in Finland. He is deeply motivated to contribute to development economics, development cooperation, Policy intervention, and sustainability issues through academic research and practical applications. He has strong connections in Europe and Nepal and obtained membership in the International Geographical Union -Commission on the Dynamics of Economic Spaces (IGU-CDES), Finnish Society for Development Research, Asta Ja Research Development Center Nepal, Nexus Institute of Research and Innovation (NIRI Nepal), and National Economic Concern Society Nepal. Through them, he communicates and builds interaction with the international research communities and serves the nation.
Dr. Joshi is an Assistant Professor of Mathematics at the University of Delaware since August 2023. He specializes in finite geometry and computational research, with a PhD in Mathematics (2023) from the University of Delaware. Kamal was born and raised in Bajura and later in Kathmandu where he completed his schooling. Kamal holds a Master's in Mathematics with Specialization in Computer Science (2012) and a Bachelor's in Mathematics (2010), both from Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning, India. Kamal is dedicated to teaching and mentoring with experience spanning secondary education to university-level instruction, and a commitment to fostering collaborative research and innovation.
Kisun Pokharel is currently a research scientist at Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke). He holds a PhD in Genetics from the University of Helsinki, Finland. He studies several traits of domestic and semi-domestic livestock species that have adapted and survived harsh arctic and sub-arctic environments.
Dr Subedi is from Waling, Syangja. After completing higher secondary education in his hometown, he moved to Kathmandu for higher studies. He completed an undergraduate and post-graduate degree in public health from Maharajgunj Medical Campus, Institute of Medicine, Tribhuvan University. He earned more than ten years of work experience with Nepal’s different health system tiers, ranging from community to national level. At Nepal Public Health Foundation, he worked as a research manager and managed a research project funded by the Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research, WHO. He also led research projects supported by international agencies such as the WHO South-East Asia and Medico International. Dr Subedi worked as an Assistant Professor of Public Health at Institute of Medicine, Tribhuvan University. He completed his PhD on understanding the implementation of a digital health intervention from School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences at Deakin University, Australia. He is associated with national and international professional organisations, such as the Nepal Public Health Association and the International Society of Behavioural Nutrition and Physical Activity. Recently, he is leading two international collaborative research projects in Nepal related to the physical activity of children and adolescents: 1) Development and validation of the Global Adolescent and Child Physical Activity Questionnaire (GAC-PAQ): A multi-country study across six continents and 2) SUNRISE Pilot study. He is associated with the Career Development Program of Connected Health Centre for Research Excellence of the National Health and Medical Research Centre in Digital Technology, Australia and is a Lown Scholar in the Cardiovascular Health Program at Harvard University, USA. His broad research interests include non-communicable disease prevention and management, digital health, physical activity, and implementation science.
Sabina Gyawali, originally from Palpa, Nepal, grew up in various cities across the country, developing a diverse perspective on Nepal’s rich ecological and cultural landscapes. She holds both bachelor's and master's degrees in Botany, specializing in plant taxonomy and biodiversity conservation. During her master’s studies, she was engaged in a collaborative research project with Monash University, Australia, strengthening her academic foundation in global biodiversity research.
Sabina served as a lecturer for over five years in Nepal before relocating to the United States to pursue her Ph.D. in Geosciences at Florida Atlantic University. Her current doctoral research applies paleoecological methods to reconstruct past vegetation, fire histories, and human-environment interactions, aiming to improve our understanding of long-term environmental change.
With an interdisciplinary background that bridges botany and geosciences, Sabina is committed to advancing research that supports ecosystem preservation and community resilience in Nepal and beyond.
Dr. Gautam was born and raised in Pokhara, Nepal. He moved to India to receive his B.Sc. from Manipal University, Manipal and M.Sc. in Biotechnology from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. Subsequently, he moved to Europe to obtained PhD in Immunology from University of Freiburg, Germany. His research focus during his graduate study was immunology of innate immune cells and immunodeficiency developed due to genetic defects in transcription factors and metabolic enzymes. Successively, he joined the National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institutes of Health (NIH), United States to conduct research in the field of T cell memory and immunotherapy, with a goal to develop novel immunotherapeutic regimens for metastatic cancer and viral infection. Since then he is involved in Immuno-Oncology research and is focused to generate next-generation immune cell therapy for terminal hematological malignancies and solid tumor indications.
Ms. Samikchya Baskota is a lawyer and social entrepreneur. She has Bachelor’s degree in Law from Kathmandu School of Law, Nepal, and Master’s of Law from St. John’s University, New York, USA. She has served as in-house counsel in several private institutions in Nepal. She is a member of the Nepal Bar Association. Her field of expertise is corporate law. Her interests include areas of law and development. Hard-earned academic professional career on one hand, she also likes to stretch parallels in the form of a young energetic entrepreneur. Almost half a decade and on, she efficiently engages herself in business which she says is her lately found passion. She is the founder and the CEO of Baskota Group of Industries Pvt. Ltd. A pioneer in introducing one of its kind in Nepal, she also owns an exclusive ‘Tea Bar’ that has been working towards transforming Nepali tea-drinking habits into a healthier one.
Medical Physics Assistant, University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center
Certification Candidate, Case Western Reserve University, USA
Dr. Sagar Regmi is a passionate innovator, scientist, and educator dedicated to advancing cancer care through precision, technology, and compassionate science. He currently serves as a Medical Physics Assistant in the Department of Radiation Oncology at University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center in Cleveland, Ohio—one of the leading academic medical centers in the United States. He is also pursuing CAMPEP-accredited certification in Medical Physics at Case Western Reserve University, aiming to contribute to clinical excellence in radiation oncology.
Dr. Regmi’s academic and professional journey spans three continents. He previously served as a Postdoctoral Fellow at Case Western Reserve University's School of Medicine, conducting interdisciplinary research at the intersection of oncology and bioengineering. He also contributed to scientific leadership in Nepal as Visiting Faculty at Kathmandu University and as Assistant Professor of Research and Deputy Director at the Research Center for Invention and Innovation (RCII), Gandaki University.
He earned his Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore, where his research focused on the biomechanical and pharmacological behavior of circulating tumor cells—offering insights into metastasis under shear stress and chemotherapy. He further specialized in microfluidic technologies for oncology during his time at the University of Macau, China.
Dr. Regmi holds an M.Sc. in Physics from the University of Pune and a Bachelor's in Physics from Fergusson College, India. With over 17 peer-reviewed publications to his credit, he actively contributes to the global medical physics community as an Associate Member of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM).
From Nepal to India, Singapore, Macau, and the USA, Dr. Regmi remains committed to research, innovation, and mentorship in medical physics—driven by a belief that scientific advancement can transform cancer care and improve lives.
Bhagabati Sedain is a senior Lecturer at Padmakanya Campus, Kathmandu, Nepal and a Demographer by training. She has obtained Master of Philosophy degree from Tribhuvan University Central Department of Population Studies. Bhagabati is probably the only female injury prevention researcher based in Nepal and about to complete her Doctoral research on social impacts of road traffic injuries from Tribhuvan University with the scholarship from the University Grant Commission of Nepal. This will also be first PhD in road traffic injuries in Nepal. Bhagabati Sedain has completed a number of injury research studies: solo and in collaboration. She has contributed to the development of National Injury Prevention Strategy and Action Plan commissioned by the Ministry of Health and Population of Nepal. She is also advising the Department of Health Services on developing low-cost interventions to be implemented at municipality levels. She has 6 articles published in peer reviewed journals and several op-ed articles in Nepalese print and online media around drowning prevention, road traffic injury prevention, road safety, safer mobility, etc. Her topic of research interests are mainly around unintentional injuries such as drowning, falls, burns, electric shock, and road injuries. Bhagabati is a great mentor who has evidently motivated her students to be involved in academic research and academic publication. Bhagabati also promotes community involvement in injury prevention in Nepal.
Regional Medical Director
Hopewell Health Centers
Chillicothe, Ohio, USA
Education
Doctor of Medicine in Family Medicine Residency Program from ANortheast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED) USA
Dr. Thapa was born and raised in Sindhuli, Nepal. He received his B.ED. education from Mahendra Ratna Campus, Tahachal, TU, Kathmandu Nepal. He moved to Sweden and did his B.Sc. in Nursing Science and became a Registered Nurse (RN) and also completed M.Sc. in Public Health Nursing from the same University, University of Skövde, Sweden. He obtained his Ph.D. degree from Jönköping University, Jönköping, Sweden with his major subject in Health and Care Sciences. His research focuses on healthcare professionals' work environment, stress, public health and global health. Currently, Dr. Thapa is conducting research with his collaborative partners both in Sweden, Norway and in Nepal. He has several years of working experience from the hospitals, community healthcare services in Sweden and he started working as a lecturer at the University of Skövde in 2016. Since 2022, he is working as a senior lecturer at the University of Skövde and teaches both B.Sc. and MSc. students at the same time of conducting his research.
Over the past decade, Dr. Krishna Prasad PAudel has been regularly involved in the field of knowledge management. He did PhD research in Knowledge Management and Academic Performance in Higher Educational Institutions of Nepal, Master’s Degree in Management Science having the specialization of Management Information System (MIS) and Decision Support System (DSS) from Tribhuvan University Nepal. He has also completed Masters of Computer Applications (MCA) specializing in Knowledge Management (KM) and Information Security (IS) from Purbanchal University, Nepal. He worked at the Supreme Court of Nepal as the Information Technology (IT) Director. He has developed and implemented the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Master plan of the judiciary to automate judicial activities; both judicial case processing and court administration. Dr. Paudel also contributed to various Ministries and institutions of the Government of Nepal to develop the MIS System. As an IT consultant, Dr. PAudel contributed to developing the concept of Smart City proposed by Kathmandu Metropolitan City. Likewise, He supported developing the MIS system of Cooperative and Poverty Management Information System (COPOMIS) of the Nepal Government. Additionally, He spent most of his spare time facilitating graduate and undergraduate students, on knowledge management, research methodology, and management information system courses in colleges and universities as a visiting faculty. Besides, Dr. Paudel has been continuously conducting research, developing research papers, and disseminating the findings in national and international forums.
Dr. Kurmi received his undergraduate degree from Tribhuwan University, Nepal and PhD in Public Health from the University of Aberdeen, UK. He completed his post-doctoral training at the University of Birmingham, UK, in the Institute of Occupational Medicine. He worked as a Senior Scientist in Respiratory Epidemiology at the Clinical Trial Service Unit and Epidemiological Studies Unit, Nuffield Department of Population Health, the University of Oxford, UK. He worked as an Assistant Professor in Respiratory Epidemiology in the Division of Respirology, Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada. Currently, he is working as an Associate Professor in Epidemiology and Evidence-based Healthcare Research at Coventry University. He is the chair of the Respiratory Epidemiology Group (6.01) of the European Respiratory Society and the Fellows of the Royal Society of Public Health. He has worked in several large prospective cohorts across all geographical regions, including in biobank studies. His primary research expertise is Respiratory Epidemiology and Environmental Health Epidemiology, and he has been teaching observational research methods and problem-based learning to undergraduate and postgraduate students. He has set up a family cohort in two regions of Nepal to understand the major determinants of health, particularly lung health in children.
Dr. Pangeni was born and raised in Syangja, Nepal. He moved to Mumbai after high school to pursue his higher education. He returned to Nepal and worked in various schools and colleges as a teacher/lecturer and moved to the United Kingdom to pursue his Masters and Ph.D. Dr. Pangeni has received his post-doctoral training from Northwestern University and City of Hope National Medical Center in the USA. He received his research training in cancer epigenetics during his Ph.D. and postdoctoral fellowships. Currently, he works on Cancer Genetics/epigenetics and metastases, Cancer epidemiology,
Experimental therapeutics,
Disease diagnostics and drug discovery
Sangeeta is a clinically astute Biomedical Research Scientist with nine years of innovative oncology research experience, prior Medical Science Liasion experience, combined with two years of clinical study design and management experience. She Possesses expertise in the field of Pharmacy, Oncology (head and neck, prostate, colon, skin), Hematology, and Cell therapy. Proficient at managing multiple projects and meeting aggressive deadlines. She is a skilled communicator with demonstrated ability to compile, translate, and present complex scientific and clinical data to diverse audiences at national and international conferences. Her background includes designing clinical trials, engagement and management of key opinion leader (KOL) relationships, product development, and serving as a value-added scientific resource to cross-functional teams.
Dr. Santosh Sapkota Originally from a remote village in Kaski Nepal, he has been in the US since 2005. He successfully served two terms as a President of the America Nepal Medical Foundation. During his tenure, the organization was able to raise more than 2 million dollars for Nepal and grew organization membership from less than 40 to almost 300. He is a board member of multiple non-profit organizations and a host of his own online program, Sapati Talk Show.
Dr. Sah born in Haripurwa Municipality, Sarlahi district Nepal. He did his undergraduate studies in BSc. In Applied Biotechnology at Lord Buddha Education Foundation, Maitidevi, Kathmandu. After completion of his undergraduate, he worked in the Biotechnology section at the Department of Plant Resources, Thapathali. Later, he moved to Punjab Agriculture University, Ludhiana, India to pursue a master’s in biotechnology. After his master’s, he worked two years as a Research Fellow at Punjab Agricultural University. After that, he moved to the United States to pursue PhD in Molecular Biology. He did postdoctoral training at The Pennsylvania State University. Now, He is working as a Research Associate Biology at Brookhaven National Laboratory, New York. Currently, he is working on enhancing the oil synthesis in the leaf and stem of Arabidopsis, sugarcane, and rice. He has worked on several projects in Abiotic Stress, Gene editing, ABA signaling in plants.
Dr. Aryal was born and raised in Gulmi, Nepal. He received his BS degree in agriculture from Purvanchal University. He worked briefly on various agricultural projects in Nepal before he moved to the USA for his graduate studies. He received his MS at the University of Georgia where he worked to better understand host-parasite relationships using nematode-induced resistance mechanisms in cotton. He received his PhD in Nematology from the University of Florida where he worked in various projects of integrated pest management of nematode parasites in bermudagrass and golf courses. He worked in the insect immune system using entomopathogens during his postdoctoral training at the University of California, Riverside. Currently, Dr. Aryal is working as a Senior Research Scientist (nematology lead) at Marrone Bio Innovations, Davis, California.
Dr. Bhesh was born and raised in Baglung, Nepal. He did his high school and undergraduate school in Pokhara, Nepal. He then worked in various pharmacy schools as a lecturer/ Department Head, and in a teaching hospital as a hospital pharmacist. He also worked as a Drug Inspector in the Department of Drug Administrator, MOH, Nepal. Dr. Bhesh earned his Master’s and PhD from South Korea. He then received his postdoctoral training from St Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA. He is now working as a research scientist in dissecting the role of the innate immune system in infection, inflammatory diseases, and cancer at the Department of Immunology in St Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis. His interest lies in Innate Immunity, Infection Cancer, Metabolic Diseases, Photomedicine, and Herbal Drugs.
Dr. Dhiraj Acharya was born in Baglung, Nepal, and received his M. Sc. degree in Medical Microbiology from Tribhuvan University in 2007. Thereafter, he worked as an instructor of Immunology and Medical Microbiology in Nepal for three years. Dhiraj attended the University of Southern Mississippi for his Ph. D., which he obtained in 2017. During his Ph. D., he studied the host’s immune response and pathogenesis induced by emerging alpha- and flaviviruses in the laboratory of Dr. Fengwei Bai. Dhiraj is currently conducting his postdoctoral training in the laboratory of Dr. Michaela Gack at the University of Chicago where his research focuses on investigating innate immunity and viral immune escape mechanisms.
Ekanath Khatiwada is a development professional with an international profile, with more than 20 years of experience both in Africa and Asia regions. He has worked with various international development agencies including the UN agencies and implemented a wide range of development programs/projects such as; promoting various rural agribusiness enterprises, renewable energy enterprise technologies, tourism value chains, youth employment innovation fund, and market-based approach.
He has contributed to the development and dissemination (including publishing) of various best practice models of the private sector and youth entrepreneurship development.
Dr. Khanal was born and raised in Pokhara, Nepal. She completed her B.Pharm from Pokhara University. Subsequently, she moved to Europe to pursue Erasmus Mundus M.Sc. in Spectroscopy in pharmaceutical sciences from University of Lille 1, France & University of Helsinki, Finland. Next, she received her doctoral degree in Biomedical Engineering from University of Lille 1, France. Her doctoral research, which was conducted in the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) and Pasteur Institute, was mainly focused on developing nanotherapeutics against virus and bacteria targeting glycan-lectin interactions. Then, she joined the University of Connecticut Health, Connecticut, USA where she developed controlled local anesthetic release nanoformulation that potentially can help patient to reduce number of anesthetic injections after major orthopedic surgeries. After spending a year in Connecticut, she joined National Cancer Institute/National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA, where she is involved in doing cutting edge research in lung cancer, and more precisely in mesothelioma, with a goal to have deeper understanding of molecular mechanism of metastases and developing therapies using nanomedicine and personalized therapies like immunotherapy.
Padam Bhandari was raised in Pokhara where he has completed his secondary education. He also Completed a Graduation in Supply Chain Management (Online) from Riyadh, KSA. He worked as a cashier in Buddha Electronics, one of the prominent Electronics dealers in Nepal. In pursue of career, he switched to KSA for better opportunities and have been working in one of the top class dairy production company in the world. He has held a responsible profile and position in the Almarai company as Supply Chain Manager. His journey started from the year 2002 as Data Processing Clerk in Almarai Company. I am very keen on Entrepreneurships and looking forward to work hand in hand to contribute to NIRI.
Dr Reshma Shakya was born in Nepal. Dr Shakya graduated with a Bachelor of Science (Honors) majoring in Biotechnology from SANN International College, Purbanchal University, Nepal. She then moved to Australia and completed a PhD in Medicine degree from The University of Adelaide. Her PhD research was focused on understanding the impact of mutant p53 on tumour microenvironment and identifying potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets to treat mutant p53 expressing tumours. Dr Shakya then joined QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, where she is studying the impact of tumour microenvironment and heterogeneity in clinical response and resistance to immunotherapy. She is also an ambassador for the DeNovo Software company based in California, United States. Dr Shakya provides scientific and technical knowledge about the company’s flagship project, a premier flow and image cytometry data analysis software. Dr Shakya’s research goal is to improve the clinical outcome of cancer patients by integrating histo-morphologic, genetic and immunologic features into the clinical trials of cancer immunotherapy and to improve the future design of personalised therapeutic strategies.
Dr. Lamsal was born in Jhapa, Nepal. He earned his BSc from Tribhuvan University (Nepal), MSc from Ghent University (Belgium) and PhD from University of Florida (USA). He is a research scientist specializing in Artificial Intelligence and Data Science, with professional experiences in Biotechnology, Financial Services and Software Development. At present, he is a Senior Manager for AI program at Online Computer Library Systems (OCLC), which is a non-profit specializing in global library databases. At OCLC, he oversees the development and delivery of AI products support worldwide use of library materials, including Interlibrary Loan Systems and WorldCat Database Management. For professional growth, he embraces a learning-mindset and a can-do attitude. As hobby, he is interested in traveling, Astronomy and eastern philosophy, including Buddhism and Vedic culture.
Dr. Dumre is a Senior Research Scientist at Central Department of Microbiology – CDM, Tribhuvan University Kirtipur Kathmandu, Nepal
He holds PhD in Molecular Biology and Immunology, Thammasat University, Thailand (2014), and Master of Science (M.Sc.), Medical Microbiology, Tribhuvan University, Nepal (2004).
Dr. Tara Sigdel is an associate professor of surgery at the University of California. He obtained his PhD in biochemistry from Miami University (OH) followed by postdoctoral training in biomarker discovery, immunology, and organ transplantation at Stanford University. Dr. Sigdel is actively involved in the identification of non-invasive biomarkers genes, peptides, proteins, and antibodies that monitor disease status after kidney transplantation. He has authored and co-authored more than 90 peer-reviewed scientific papers. Dr. Sigdel is also a founder, Board Member, and Director (Natural and Applied Sciences) of Nexus Institute of Research and Innovation (NIRI): a society established to promote quality research and innovation in Nepal and beyond. Dr. Sigdel is a founder member of the International Nepali Biomedical Society (INBS) which is established to promote networking and communication among Nepali who is in the field of biomedicine. Dr. Sigdel is passionate about communicating with the Nepali community in the US and in Nepal. He has been running “Chautari” both in person and online where he collaborates with Dr. Toya Baral to speak with guests who have useful messages to the community. Because of his passion for training and mentoring young students in Nepal, he is leading the collaboration between NIRI and Lokopakar to mentor public high school students in different districts of Nepal.
Dr. Pun was born and raised in Nepal during his very early years. He left for Nagaland, India at a very young age for schooling and all his college education. After his post-graduation, he returned to Nepal and served as lecture at Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science, Tribhuvan University at Rampur, Chitwan for three years (1993-1996). He moved to Lincoln University, New Zealand for PhD followed by two years JSPS postdoc at National Institute of Floriculture Science, Tsukuba, Japan. Dr. Pun returned to Nepal in 2004 and began his agro based business in horticulture sector and also served as visiting faculty at Tribhuvan University and adjunct professor at Agriculture and Forestry University, Nepal for several years.
