Dr. Seema Sood has made significant contributions to the advancement of diagnostic technologies for sexually transmitted infections (STIs), with innovations such as DNA Biosensors, Aptamers, and various other cutting-edge methods. She has fourpatents to her credit. Presently, her focus is on creating a Point-of-Care Test (POCT) for Bacterial Vaginosis, a polymicrobial infection. Additionally, she is actively involved in exploring alternative treatment approaches for gonorrhoea and conducting STI testing among high-risk populations, specifically men who have sex with men (MSMs).

In the past, Dr. Sood established a National Network for the surveillance of AMR for Neisseria gonorrhoeae with centres across India with financial assistance from ICMR. Her laboratory has been participating in the EQAS programme of WHO GASP since 2005 with excellent results. Furthermore, Dr. Sood's laboratory has played an active role in contributing to molecular epidemiology studies of Neisseria gonorrhoeae, aiming to establish its correlation with prevailing antimicrobial resistance profiles.

She has also been involved in formulation of Guidelines for Screening and Testing for STIs in Asia-Pacific Region. Furthermore, she has contributed to the publication of four NACO documents and served as a resource person for WHO workshops.

She is the author of textbook of Microbiology for Nurses (3rd ed.), published by Elsevier. Currently she is Elected committee member of IUSTI World Executive Committee (July 2021 onwards), Faculty National Board of Examination (NBE), formerly Assistant Editor, Indian Journal of Medical Microbiology, formerly member of editorial board of GASP newsletter (SEAR).

In addition to the STD laboratory, Dr. Sood has been working in the general Bacteriology Division where her research interest includes enteric fever, ICU infections particularly, VAP.

Patent: Four

Dr. Benu Dhawan graduated in Medicine from Government Medical College, Patiala, in 1987. She obtained her MD (Microbiology) degree from the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education & Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh in 1993. She joined the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi in the year 1994. She is presently a Professor in the Bacteriology & Mycoplasma division of the Department of Microbiology.

Dr. Lalit Dar is a Professor in the Department of Microbiology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Delhi, and heads the virology section of the Department. After completing his MBBS from the Maulana Azad Medical College, Delhi University, he obtained an MD degree in Microbiology from AIIMS. He has been working as a faculty member in the Virology Section since 1994.

In addition to classical virology, Dr. Dar is well-versed in molecular biology and immunology. His major area of interest is virology, particularly arthropod- borne viruses (dengue, chikungunya), viruses that affect maternal and child health (HPV, cytomegalovirus and HIV) and respiratory viruses (Influenza, SARS Coronavirus-2). He has completed various projects in these areas, with extramural funding from Indian Council of Medical Research, Department of Biotechnology and the National AIDS Control Organization (NACO).

Dr. Dar has more than 140 publications in national and international journals and books. The virology laboratory at AIIMS is a state-of-the-art laboratory, providing a wide range of tests in clinical diagnostic virology, from cell culture for viruses, to serology and nucleic acid tests. The laboratory is a part of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) network for influenza surveillance; a National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP) Apex laboratory for Dengue and Chikungunya, as well as a NACO Referral Laboratory for Early Infant Diagnosis of HIV for various Indian states. The laboratory has collaborated on projects with various foreign universities (Johns Hopkins University, University of Alabama at Birmingham, University of California at Los Angeles, University of Michigan at Ann Arbor- Arizona State University), as well as conducted collaborative projects with joint funding from ICMR along with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Centers of Disease Control (CDC).

Dr. Dar is also a trained laboratory assessor (ISO15189) and a member of the advisory accreditation committee of the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL). He is a recipient of the Fogarty Fellowship of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), USA. He has provided technical expertise and consultancy for the communicable diseases and molecular biology related activities of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), United Nations, for over a decade. He is a member of the project review committee of ICMR for virology and of the technical resource group of NACO for laboratories.

Area of interest:

• Hospital Acquired Infections (HAIs)
• Surveillance of HAIs (Pioneered the development of first surveillance system for HAIs in India with approx. 39 hospitals under the network)
• evidence based Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) practices for patients and healthcare workers' safety
• Microbiological Diagnostics and Antimicrobial Resistance and Stewardship