Sanchita Mitra

Sanchita Mitra completed her MBBS at NRS Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, India, followed by a post-graduate Diploma in Child Health (DCH). She worked as a pediatrician for a few years before completing her MD in Microbiology at SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack, Odisha, India. Her experience in clinical medicine as a pediatrician helped her develop a broader perspective on medical microbiology and its application in human infections. With her MD thesis, ‘Clinico-microbiological profile, antibiotic sensitivity, and biofilm formation in chronic dacryocystitis, ' she gained extensive hands-on training with ocular pathogens, for which she received the ‘best free paper’ award at the Indian Association of Medical Microbiologists (IAMM), Odisha chapter. Her further work in diagnostics and research in ocular microbiology as a consultant at LV Prasad Eye Institute helped her hone her skills in molecular microbiology techniques.

In Medical Microbiology, Dr. Mitra’s primary focus has been on antimicrobial resistance (AMR), encompassing antibacterial and antifungal resistance and seeking solutions for tackling AMR. Currently, her research spans antagonistic polymicrobial interactions and their effects on AMR and microbial virulence; multidrug-resistant ocular pathogens; and the mechanisms of antimicrobial resistance in ocular pathogens, especially those related to biofilms and plasmids. She investigates multidrug-resistant ocular pathogens and unusual ocular pathogens in various infections, including endophthalmitis, keratitis, and orbital infections. Her projects on AMR have received extramural funding from the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, as well as intramural funding. She has published on AMR, ocular pathogens, and ocular microbiology diagnostics in both international and national peer-reviewed journals. Her keen interest in contributing to academic development for LMICs has led to presentations such as the Henry-Stuart talk. Her contributions to ocular microbiology diagnostics earned her the ‘Indian Journal of Ophthalmology Gold Award’ in 2024. She looks forward to making significant contributions to tackling antimicrobial resistance, enhancing molecular diagnostics in ocular microbiology and resource-limited settings, and continuing her academic contributions.