Dr. Dinesh Kumar Ch, former Kothari Fellow from the laboratory of Prof. S. Rajagopal, at the Department of Plant Sciences, University of Hyderabad, has been selected for the internationally prestigious Newton International Fellowship 2019 by The Royal Society (UK) and the Science and Engineering Board of India (SERB-INDIA).
Dr. Dinesh Kumar Ch
Newton International Fellowship is awarded to early stage postdoctoral researchers throughout the world for building long-lasting relationships with UK research institutions and networks. The fellowship is highly competitive with ~8% success rate. Dr. Dinesh Kumar has received a grant of £103,316 for a period of two years. After successful completion of his two years of fellowship, he will be further eligible for alumni follow on fund to support networking activities with UK-based researchers.
The fellowship will enable Dr. Dinesh Kumar to work in the laboratory of Prof. Dame Carol V Robinson, Doctor Lee’s Professor of Chemistry at the University of Oxford, UK. She is the first female professor at both University of Cambridge and University of Oxford and President of the Royal Society of Chemistry. She is a renowned professor to use mass spectrometry as an analytical tool to probe 3D structures of membrane proteins.
At University of Oxford, Dr. Dinesh Kumar will deploy native mass spectrometric methodologies to study structural and functional aspects of membrane proteins of mycobacterial species. Further to this, he aims to study the synergism of membrane proteins and its accessory proteins during the uptake of heme as an iron source. These studies may provide leads for the development of drug candidates to combat tuberculosis in near future.