Biography
Post-Doctoral Researcher [Project Research Scientist -1 (Non-Medical)]
My research primarily focuses on the molecular epidemiology, antimicrobial resistance (AMR), and genomic characterization of clinically important multidrug-resistant bacterial pathogens associated with bloodstream and hospital-acquired infections. Using whole-genome sequencing (WGS), comparative genomics, and phylogenetic analysis, my work investigates the emergence, evolution, and dissemination of high-risk resistant clones, particularly among Enterobacterales such as Klebsiella pneumoniae, Enterobacter cloacae complex, Shigella spp. Salmonella enterica. A major emphasis of my research is the characterization of carbapenem-resistant and colistin-resistant pathogens harbouring clinically significant carbapenem and colistin resistance determinants including blaKPC-2, blaNDM, blaOXA-48-like, and mcr genes.
My studies have contributed to understanding the genomic diversity, transmission dynamics, and co-occurrence of multiple resistance mechanisms in intensive care unit (ICU) and bloodstream isolates from India. In addition, I have worked on phylogenomic analysis of emerging multi-drug resistant (MDR) organisms and antimicrobial-resistant enteric pathogens, highlighting their public health significance. Overall, my research integrates clinical microbiology with advanced genomic approaches to support AMR surveillance, infection control strategies, and the global effort to combat multidrug-resistant bacterial infections.
Academic Background
Ph.D in Microbiology from University of Calcutta [ Bacteriology Division of ICMR- National Institute for Research in Bacterial Infections (formerly ICMR-NICED) ]
M.Sc in Microbiology from St. Xavier’s College, Kolkata (University of Calcutta)
Selected Publications
- Halder G, Chaudhuri BN, Veeraraghavan B, Denny P, Dutta P, Chakraborty M, Khan UR, Ganguly SS, Mandal S, Upadhyaya YP, Biswas B, Chakraborty A, Maiti S, Mondal H, Pal S, Dutta S. (2025). Antimicrobial resistance and phylogenetic lineages of KPC-2-producing blood-borne Klebsiella pneumoniae subsp. pneumoniae from Kolkata, India during 2015–2024: Emergence of Klebsiella pneumoniae subsp. pneumoniae with blaKPC-2, blaNDM, and blaOXA-48-like triple carbapenemases.Microbiol Spectr 13:e00126-25. https://doi.org/10.1128/spectrum.00126-25
- Halder G, Chaudhury BN, Denny P, Chakraborty M, Mandal S, Dutta S. (2025). Emergence of concurrently transmissible mcr-9 and carbapenemase genes in bloodborne colistin-resistant Enterobacter cloacae complex isolated from ICU patients in Kolkata, India. Microbiol Spectr 13:e01542-24. https://doi.org/10.1128/spectrum.01542-24
- Halder G, Chaudhury BN, Mandal S, Denny P, Sarkar D, Chakraborty M, Khan UR, Sarkar S, Biswas B, Chakraborty A, Maiti S, Dutta S. (2024). Whole genome sequence-based molecular characterization of blood isolates of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacter cloacae complex from ICU patients in Kolkata, India, during 2017–2022: emergence of phylogenetically heterogeneous Enterobacter hormaechei subsp. xiangfangensis. Microbiol Spectr 12:e03529-23.https://doi.org/10.1128/spectrum.03529-23
- Dutta P., Halder G., Denny P, Dutta S. (2026). Whole genome-sequence-based molecular characterisation of Salmonella Kentucky co-resistant to fluoroquinolones and cephalosporins isolated from children during 2017 to 2024: emergence of blaCTX−M−55 harbouring Salmonella Kentucky in India. Braz J Microbiol 57, 128 (2026).https://doi.org/10.1007/s42770-026-01950-8
- Dutta P, Halder G, Ghosh B, Antony B, Denny P, Ganai A, Dutta S. (2025). Draft genome sequence based genomic characterization of Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Oslo isolated from clinical samples in South India and its comparison with global isolates. Japanese Journal of Infectious Diseases, Article ID JJID.2024.406, Advance online publication May 30, 2025, Online ISSN 1884-2836, Print ISSN 1344-6304, https://doi.org/10.7883/yoken.JJID.2024.406
- Dutta P, Roy S, Halder G, Ghosh M, Ganai A, Angrup A, Dutta S. (2025). Draft genome sequences of Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Give sequence type 516 isolated from blood and brain abscess of a child from North India. (Joint 2nd Author). Microbiol Resour Announc 14:e00841-24https://doi.org/10.1128/mra.00841-24
- Bose P, Chowdhury G, Halder G, Ghosh D, Deb AK, Kitahara K, Miyoshi SI, Morita M, Ramamurthy T, Dutta S, Mukhopadhyay AK. (2024). Prevalence and changing antimicrobial resistance profiles of Shigella spp. isolated from diarrheal patients in Kolkata during 2011-2019. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2024 Feb 20;18(2):e0011964. 10.1371/journal.pntd.0011964
- Jain P, Viswanathan R,Halder G, Basu S, Dutta S.(2022). Draft Whole-Genome Sequences of Two Multidrug-Resistant Salmonella enterica Serovar Senftenberg Sequence Type 14 Strains Resistant to Ciprofloxacin, Ceftriaxone, and/or Azithromycin, Isolated from Kolkata, India. Microbiol Resour Announc11:e00978-21.https://doi.org/10.1128/mra.00978-21
- Marbou WJT, Jain P, Samajpati S, Halder G, Mukhopadhyay AK, Dutta S, Kuete V. (2020). Profiling Virulence and Antimicrobial Resistance Markers of Enterovirulent Escherichia Coli from Fecal Isolates of Adult Patients with Enteric Infections in West Cameroon. Osong Public Health Res Perspect. Aug;11(4):216-230. 10.24171/j.phrp.2020.11.4.11
Posters & Conferences
- Poster Presentation at IBSD and ICMR-NICED organized AMR conference in Kolkata at 2024 - Gourab Halder, Priyanka Denny, Arunima Sengupta, Bhaskar Narayan Chaudhury, Ujjwayini Ray Khan, Subhranshu Mandal, Shanta Dutta. “Molecular Characterization of Carbapenem and Colistin resistant Enterobacter cloacae complex (ECC) isolated from blood of sepsis patients admitted in Intensive Care Unit of Kolkata from 2017-2023”
- Poster Presentationat 16th Asian Conference on Diarrhoeal Diseases and Nutrition (ASCODD) in Kolkata at 2022- Gourab Halder, Priyanka Jain, Bhaskar Narayan Chaudhury, Ujjwayini Ray Khan, Shelley Sharma Ganguly, Shanta Dutta .“Molecular Characterization of Carbapenem Resistant E. coli isolated from blood of sepsis patients admitted in Intensive Care Unit of Tertiary care Hospitals in Kolkata”