Dr.Dhananjaya Saranath, M.Sc., Ph.D., FMAS

Research Director, Reliance Life Sciences Pvt. Ltd., Molecular Diagnostics and Genetics, Mumbai, India

Dr.Saranath graduated in Microbiology from Sophia College, University of Bombay, obtained her M.Sc. in Biology from North Carolina Central University, and Ph.D. in Applied Biology from Cancer Research Institute, University of Bombay. Her postdoctoral assignment was at the Department of Tumor Biology, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden. She is currently the Research Director and heads the Molecular Diagnostics and Genetics group at Reliance Life Sciences. She was Head – Laboratory of Cancer Genes, Cancer Research Institute, Tata Memorial Centre, and initiated the Molecular Medicine and Biology Department at Jaslok Hospital and Research center. She is an elected fellow of the Maharashtra Academy of Sciences, India, holds the Lupin Visiting Fellowship of the University Department of Chemical Technology, and is an invited faculty at University of Mumbai, and M.S University of Baroda. She is a Resource person and faculty, University Grants Commission Refresher Courses for Microbiology Teachers of B.Sc./M.Sc. She is a member of the Scientific Advisory Committee of several Cancer Centres and Medical Hospitals in India.

Dr.Saranath is President, Indian Association of Cancer Research. She is a recepient of the Sandoz Oration Award for Excellence in Cancer Research from the Indian Council of Medical Research, and Prof.Rudolf Fries Award of ICOOC. Dr.Saranath has published over 60 scientific peer reviewed articles and lectured extensively on molecular basis and progression of oral cancers. She has edited a book on Contemporary Issues in Oral Cancer. She is a member of the editorial board of several national and international journals, and review panel for funding agencies of Government of India.

The current research focus of Dr.Saranath at Reliance Life Sciences, is development of Predictive Molecular Biomarkers in human cancers, with emphasis on oral cancer, cervical cancer and breast cancer, using a cost-effective and sustainable approach, to enable routine use of the markers. Her research on molecular basis of oral cancer, and markers in cancers of relevance in the Indian context have been supported by prestigious national and international grants from the Indian Government Agencies - Departments of Biotechnology (DBT), Science and Technology (DST), Indian Council of Medical Research, and Bill and Melinda Foundation, NIH – USA, and International Agency for Cancer Research – France.