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Staff Profile

Dr Roshan Mascarenhas

Associate Professor and Assistant Dean of Biomedical Sciences

  • Email: roshan.mascarenhas@newcastle.edu.my
  • Telephone: +6 07 555 3800
  • Address: Newcastle University Medicine Malaysia
    No. 1, Jalan Sarjana 1
    Kota Ilmu, Educity
    Iskandar Puteri - 79200
    Johor
    Malaysia
Background

Introduction

I have been serving as an Associate Professor at NUMed Malaysia since 2014. Before joining NUMed, I worked as a Postdoctoral Researcher at The Ohio State University, Columbus, USA. My teaching portfolio includes Human Genetics, Cell and Molecular Biology, and Immunology for Biomedical Sciences and MBBS students. My research interests span pharmacogenomics, RNA biology, cancer genetics, and antimicrobial resistance.

Qualifications

  • Ph.D. - Molecular Genetics, Manipal University, Manipal, India 
  • Post-doctoral fellowship, Center for RNA biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, USA
  • Post-doctoral fellowship, Center for Pharmacogenomics, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, USA
  • Certificate in principles of clinical pharmacology, National Institute of Health, USA
  • MBA, Annamalai University DDE, India

Impact and Awards

2023 Winner - Teaching Excellence Award for Outstanding Contribution to Teaching (Global category) 

2022 Winner - Staff Facilitator of the year

2016   Teaching Excellence Awards Nominations: Innovative Teaching Methods (Medical Sciences) and Taught Supervisor category 

2015   Teaching Excellence Awards Nominations: Innovative Teaching Methods

2013   Selected for Pharmacogenomics Research Network (PGRN) ‘HOT TOPIC’, PGRN Scientific 

           steering committee meeting, Columbus, USA

2009   Young Scientist Award from Indian Society of Human Genetics (ISHG-2009), India

2009   Best poster award, Manipal University, Manipal, India

2008   Best poster award, Manipal University, Manipal, India

2007   Best paper presentation award at the ‘International Conference on Biomarkers in Health…’

           Coimbatore, India

2001   Gold Medal in Masters Degree, Mangalore University, India

Research

Research interests:

  • RNA biology – Specifically mRNA decay, role of coding and non-coding RNAs in translation
  • Pharmacogenomics – Role of regulatory polymorphisms in drug metabolism
  • Cancer and mitochondrial genetics – Mitochondrial DNA mutations and pathways in cervical cancer
  • Antimicrobial Resistance – AMR in water and soil microbiome
Teaching

Module lead (Biomedical Sciences)

  • Genetics
  • Control of Eukaryotic Gene Expression
  • Clinical Immunology and Viral Pathogens

Unit lead (MBBS)

  • Foundation

Teaching (Biomedical Sciences)

  • Cell Biology and Disease
  • Control of Eukaryotic Gene Expression
  • Clinical Immunology and Viral Pathogens
  • Genetics
  • Cell biology
  • Pharmacology
  • Microbiology and Immunology
  • Practical Skills in Biomedical and Biomolecular Sciences 1 & 2

Teaching (MBBS)

  • Cell biology and Genetics
  • Immunology
Publications

  • Articles

    • Eswaran S, Bhat S, Upadhya D, Mascarenhas R, Kabekkodu SP. Biological functions of extracellular vesicle double C2-like domain beta in cervical cancer. Scientific Reports 2025, 15(1), 477.
    • Hebbar P, Han OB, Yan NX, Kay D, Chu KY, Woon J, Lun PK, Kabekkodu SP, Prasad ASB, Prakash B, Nograles N, Kanakal MM, Goodson M, Mascarenhas R. Characterisation of Microbiome Diversity Unveils Substantial Microbial Variation in Mangrove Soils from Coastal Regions of Malaysia. Access Microbiology 2024. In Press.
    • Tungekar A, Mandarthi S, Mandaviya PR, Gadekar VP, Tantry A, Kotian S, Reddy J, Prabha D, Bhat S, Sahay S, Mascarenhas R, Badkillaya RR, Nagasampige MK, Yelnadu M, Pawar H, Hebbar P, Kashyap MK. ESCC ATLAS: A population wide compendium of biomarkers for Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma. Scientific Reports 2018, 8(1), 12715.
    • Pinsonneault JK, Frater JT, Kompa B, Mascarenhas R, Wang D, Sadee W. Intronic SNP in ESR1 encoding human estrogen receptor alpha is associated with brain ESR1 mRNA isoform expression and behavioral traits. PLoS One 2017, 12(6), e0179020.
    • Mascarenhas R, Pietrzak M, Smith RM, Webb A, Wang D, Papp AC, Pinsonneault JK, Seweryn M, Rempala G, Sadee W. Allele-selective transcriptome recruitment to polysomes primed for translation: protein-coding and noncoding RNAs, and RNA isoforms. PLoS One 2015, 10(9), e0136798.
    • Kabekkodu SP, Bhat S, Mascarenhas R, Mallya S, Bhat M, Pandey D, Kushtagi P, Thangaraj K, Gopinath PM, Satyamoorthy K. Mitochondrial DNA variation analysis in cervical cancer. Mitochondrion 2014, 16, 73-82.
    • Kabekkodu SP, Bhat S, Radhakrishnan R, Aithal A, Mascarenhas R, Pandey D, Rai L, Kushtagi P, Mundyat GP, Satyamoorthy K. DNA promoter methylation-dependent transcription of the double C2-like domain β (DOC2B) gene regulates tumor growth in human cervical cancer. Journal of Biological Chemistry 2014, 289(15), 10637-10649.
    • Smith RM, Webb A, Papp AC, Newman LC, Handelman SK, Suhy A, Mascarenhas R, Oberdick J, Sadee W. Whole transcriptome RNA-Seq allelic expression in human brain. BMC Genomics 2013, 14, 571.
    • Mascarenhas R, Dougherty JA, Schoenberg DR. SMG6 cleavage generates metastable decay intermediates from nonsense-containing β-globin mRNA. PLoS ONE 2013, 8(9), e74791.
    • Patra S, Mascarenhas R, Maliyakkal N, Aranjani JM. Protocatechualdehyde induce apoptosis in human non-small-cell lung cancer cells by up regulation of Growth arrest and DNA damage-inducible (GADD) genes. Mol Biol 2013, 2:113:e1000113.
    • Mascarenhas R, Kabekkodu SP, Vijaya PH, Manjunath K, Graw J, Gopinath PM, Satyamoorthy K. Analysis of mitochondrial DNA variations in Indian patients with congenital cataract. Mol Vis 2012, 18, 181-93.
    • Guruprasad KP, Mascarenhas R, Gopinath PM, Satyamoorthy K. Studies on Brahma rasayana in male swiss albino mice: Chromosomal aberrations and sperm abnormalities. J Ayurveda Integr Med 2010, 1(1), 40-4.
    • Mascarenhas R, Vijaya PH, Lavanya GR, Shama PK, Santhiya ST, Graw J, Gopinath PM, Satyamoorthy K. A novel human CRYGD mutation in a juvenile autosomal dominant cataract. Mol Vis 2010, 16, 887-96.

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