Dr. Aroonima Misra
Dr. Aroonima Misra is a hematopathologist serving as Scientist E, leading the Advanced Molecular Diagnostics Research Facility at ICMR-NICHR, New Delhi, where she integrates high-end molecular haematology, genomics, and translational research to improve diagnostics and risk stratification for haematological malignancies. Trained in haemato-oncology, paediatric cytogenetics, and molecular haematology, she has established multidisciplinary programs in leukaemia biology, biomarker discovery, and indigenous diagnostic innovation, including Dried Blood Spot (DBS)–based RNA extraction platforms for resource-limited settings and cfDNA-based assays for minimal residual disease and early relapse detection. As Principal Investigator on multiple extramural and intramural grants, she supervises PhD scholars, postgraduate trainees, and early-career investigators, fostering a structured, hypothesis-driven research environment that links bench discoveries with patient care pathways. Under her leadership, the facility functions as a nodal centre within the National Cancer Grid, offers specialized training in advanced molecular diagnostic haematology, and supports collaborative clinical trials and translational projects in haemato-oncology and solid tumors. Dr. Misra has an extensive PubMed-indexed publication record with several high-impact first and corresponding author papers, national and international awards, and active multi-institutional collaborations, positioning her group as a national resource for advanced molecular diagnostics, training, and capacity-building.
Educational Qualifications
Thrust Areas of Research
- Molecular hematology and haemato-oncology, including prognostic modeling in acute leukemias
- Development and clinical integration of point-of-care diagnostics for leukemia and solid tumors, enabling rapid, decentralized molecular decision-making in resource-constrained settings.
- Application of nanopore-based sequencing platforms in solid tumors and leukemias for real-time genomic profiling, minimal residual disease assessment, and detection of emergent resistance mutations.
- Single-cell sequencing approaches in leukemias to dissect clonal heterogeneity, treatment resistance, and microenvironmental interactions, with the goal of refining risk stratification and targeted therapeutic strategies.
- Indigenous diagnostic innovation using Dried Blood Spot (DBS) technology for leukemia and pharmacogenomics
Ongoing Projects
- Development of a simple prognostic scoring model IPSS (Integrated Prognostic Scoring System) for newly diagnosed cytogenetically normal acute myeloid leukaemia.
- Onco-proteome Profiling in drug resistant (chemo resistant) acute lymphoid leukaemia by selective inhibition and pathway analysis of PI3K/Akt/mTOR axis
- Identification of novel synergistic inhibitors by studying differences in sensitivity towards pathway regulators and triple inhibitors of PI3K/Akt/mTOR axis in T cell ALL
- Performance Evaluation of the droplet digital PCR for deep molecular response for monitoring in BCR-ABL-1 positive malignancies
- Standardization of RNA Extraction from Dried Blood Spots in Leukaemia Samples
- A diagnostic randomized controlled trial to study to validate novel DBS based technology for prognosis and screening for leukaemia transcripts.
- Establishment of Apex Molecular Diagnostic facility-Phase-1