AREAS OF INTEREST, EXPERTISE AND RESEARCH

Professional Affiliations & Contributions

• 105 Research Papers published in National & International Journals 

Professor (Dr.) Prasanta Kumar Mitra is a very senior medical teacher and researcher. He has experience of more than 43 years in medical teaching and about 48 years in research. As Professor of Biochemistry & Biotechnology he is heading the Department of Medical Biotechnology of Sikkim Manipal Institute of Medical Sciences under the Sikkim Manipal University since 2013. He is also attached to Indira Gandhi Technological & Medical Sciences University of Arunachal Pradesh as well as Sikkim Professional University of Sikkim as Emeritus Professor and with Patliputra University of Bihar as visiting Professor.

After completing Masters in Biochemistry from the Calcutta University in 1974, Prasanta Kumar Mitra entered into research field. He did his first Ph.D. from the Calcutta University in Biochemistry in 1979 & joined the teaching post of Demonstrator in the Department of Biochemistry of North Bengal Medical College, Siliguri where he started independent research work and bagged second Ph.D. degree in Life sciences from North Bengal University in 1988. From the same University he got his third Ph.D. in Chemistry in the year 2000 and the fourth Ph.D. degree he received in Medical Biochemistry from Sikkim Manipal University in the year 2010.

Prof. Mitra had ICMR research project on ‘Nutritional status of the people of Sikkim’ though his main research area is ‘Medicinal plants of Sikkim & Darjeeling Himalayas’. 15 students worked under him and got Ph.D. degree. He was co-supervisor of research projects of 3 MD students. He has published 201 research papers in national and international peer reviewed indexed journals of repute. He wrote 5 books & 10 book chapters.

Prof. Mitra was the Director of ‘Health Prasar’, North  Bengal,  Department  of  Health  &  Family  Welfare,  Government  of  West  Bengal. He acted as Coordinator of the World Bank and GTZ projects for Health Sector Development program of North Bengal under the Govt. of West Bengal.  On behalf of North Bengal University, Siliguri, Prof. Mitra worked as ‘Expert Member’ in different projects.

Prof. Mitra was Editor-in-Chief of the ‘European Journal of Biotechnology and Biosciences’. From Sikkim Manipal University he started ‘SMU Medical Journal’, the first research journal of its kind in Sikkim & acted as editor of the journal. Presently he is associated with many national and international research journals as Editor, Associate Editor and Member of Editorial Board.

Prof. Mitra is the Central Committee Member of UNESCO BIOETHICS. He has  visited 27 countries to attend international conferences as guest speaker, chairman of a session and to deliver talks in different universities. Over and above, Prof. Mitra is a well known science writer and science popularizer. He has written 1587 popular science articles in different newspapers / magazines. In fact, weekly science feature page of ‘Uttarbanga Sambad’, a leading Bengali daily newspaper of North Bengal, has been published under his editorship for last more than three decades.

Prof. Mitra is the recipient of ‘Rajiv Gandhi Excellence award’ for his academic excellence and outstanding contribution in the field of popularization of science in society.