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Our Scientific Lead in Genetic Toxicology, meet Dr Verma!
Dr. Verma joins us for a coffee to share his diverse journey from studying human and medical genetics to his groundbreaking work in genetic toxicology. Discover what drives Dr. Verma’s dedication to developing new genetic toxicity testing at ImmuONE.
What is your background?
I did human and medical genetics for my undergraduate degree. During my summer holidays, I got a taste of working in the laboratory assisting a PhD student, which triggered my interest in genetic toxicology. I went on to do a PhD within the DNA damage group at Swansea University. Since then, I have worked in the field of genetic toxicology in industry as Post Doctorate, Study Director and as a Senior Scientist.
Could you tell us about the current project you are working on in the field of genotoxicity?
Use of animals in research is a key concern and efforts have been made to reduce, refine and replace the use of animals for toxicity testing. Currently, I am working on a project called ImmuScreen that aims at adapting in vitro DNA damage assessment in cells cultured in animal product free culture conditions.
It’s an animal-free, risk assessment of chemicals and pharmaceuticals for Adverse Outcome Pathway (AOP) modelling for genotoxic and non-genotoxic compounds by revealing genotoxic modes-of-action and several non-genotoxic modes of action, such as oxidative stress, inflammation, macrophage morphology and lipidosis. Basically, its a multiplexing approach.
Do you prefer focusing on one endpoint or multiple endpoints in your research, and why?
I prefer multiple endpoints in my research. It helps to problem solve and provide tailored made solutions for my clients by integrating all the knowledge and skills from different fields.
In your opinion, what are the most significant advancements in genotoxicity research in recent years?
High content, high throughput approaches combined with the AI has revolutionised the field of genetic toxicity testing. These multiplex approaches provide a large magnitude of information on altered cellular pathways to better manage human risk assessments
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