Dr. Praveen Malik, born on 13-08-1968, has graduated in Veterinary
Sciences from G. B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar
(Uttaranchal) in 1990 and completed Masters in Veterinary Bacteriology in
1993. He has completed his Ph. D. in Veterinary Microbiology in 2003. He has
been awarded University Merit Scholarships during graduation and Vice Chancellor's
Bronze Medal for third best Graduating Student. Further he was awarded Junior
and Senior Research Fellowships from Council for Scientific and Industrial
Research. He has also worked for Delhi Municipal Corporation and Rajasthan
Government as Assistant Veterinary Surgeon for short spans. Later, he joined
Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun (Uttaranchal) as CSIR-SRF during 1993-1996.
In 1996, he joined National Research Centre on Equines, Hisar as Scientist
(Veterinary Microbiology).
During his research activities for Master's program, he examined the cytotoxigenicity
among various serovars of Salmonella isolated from foods of animal
origin and partially purified and characterized their cytotoxic enterotoxins
(cytotoxins), which later led to the development of a broad base toxoid vaccine
against a variety of Salmonella serovars. He worked on streptococci
of equine origin (particularly Streptococcus equi subspecies equi
and S. equi subspecies zooepidemicus) during his Ph. D.
program wherein the variability of M-protein among streptococcal isolates
of equine origin was studied. He initiated the research towards the development
of diagnostic tool for detection of long-term carriers of pathogenic streptococcal
infections in equines.
He has got a wide experience of working with free-ranging wild ungulates.
He was involved in surveillance of various bacterial and viral diseases and
disease investigations among free-ranging wild animals. Various diseases of
economic importance like blue tongue, FMD, leptospirosis are reported among
free-ranging as well as domestic ungulates at the wild-domestic interface.
At NRCE, he had identified OMP of Salmonella Abortus equi as a potential
candidate for development of an effective vaccine against this infection.
He had also standardized a latex agglutination based test for sero-diagnosis
of Salmonella Abortus equi.
As part of nation-wide surveillance and monitoring program of the Centre,
he has been associated with surveillance of many infectious diseases of equines
including Equine Infectious Anaemia, glanders and others viz. strangles for
past over 10 years. Apart from aiming towards the eradication of EIA and glanders
from the country through detection and elimination, he tried to improve upon
the conventional tests for glanders testing. He, in coordination with DRDE,
Gwalior, has taken up a project on evaluation of a recombinant protein of
B. mallei for its diagnostic potential. He also attempted conventional
mallein PPD and CFT antigens in evaluating other immunoassays for quicker
and specific diagnosis of the disease.
Involvement
in current research projects of NRCE
- Epidemiological studies on emerging and existing diseases of equines
-
Development of improved diagnostics against important
viral and bacterial diseases of equines
Sub Projects
a. Development of diagnostic(s) for pathogenic Streptococcus equi
in equines (As Principal Investigator) - currently in abeyance
b. Development of diagnostics for Rhodocococcus equi infection
in foals (As associate in the project)
- Usefulness of recombinant protein for serodiagnosis of glanders (Funded
by DRDE, Gwalior)
