Dr. Seema Sood

Dr. Seema Sood, MD

Professor, Department of Microbiology E. mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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 (3^rd 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.

Honors/ Awards:

1. Dr. R.V. Rajam Endowment Oration, ASTICON-2023

2. AIIMS Excellence Research Award, 2021

3. Included in Erudite Women’s Outstanding Contribution to the Indian Medical education: A recognition on International Women’s Day, 2021

4. ICMR Lala Ram Chand Kandhari Award for research in the field of Dermatology and Sexually Transmitted Diseases-2016

5. Dr. P.S. Ranganathan Memorial Prize-Gold Medal-2013

6. R.A. Bhujwala Award-2012

7. Member of the National Academy of Medical Sciences (NAMS)- India

8. Best Paper Award-International Union of STI (IUSTI) World Congress-2011 in Basic Science Category

9. Others: Dr. V. Govindan Nair Memorial Award- ASTICON 2017

Rabindranath Dutta Memorial Award- ASTICON 2022

 

Patent: Four

Publications: 145 research papers, 3 chapters in book and 1 Text book

Few Research Papers

1. Sood S, Agarwal SK, Singh R, Gupta S & Sharma VK. In vitro assessment of gentamycin and azithromycin based combination therapy against Neisseria gonorrhoeae isolates in India. J Med Microbiol, 2019; 68(4): 555-559.

2. Mahajan N, Sood S, Das BK, Kapil A, Kar HK, & Sharma VK. Molecular Characterization of decreased susceptibility (DS) to ceftriaxone and genotyping of Neisseria gonorrhoeae isolates in New Delhi, India. Diag Microbiol Infect Dis 2021; 101(1): 115423.

3. Dev T, Mahajan N, Sood S, Gupta S. The ping-pong infection in gonorrhoea: Lest we forget. Ind J Dermatol Venereol Leprol, 2021; 88(1): 109-11.

4. Anjana A, Sood S, Chaudhry R, Kapil A, Gupta S. A pilot study to determine NG, CT co-infection rates in symptomatic patients attending STI clinics in New Delhi, India. Ind J Dermatol Venereol Leprol, 2022; 88(3):367-371.

5. Bhattacharya A, Gupta S, Verma R, Das BK, Kapil A, Singh R, Sreenivas V and Sood S. Detection of Neisseria gonorrhoeae in Genital and Extragenital Sites in Men Who Have Sex With Men in India. Sex Transm Dis 2023; 50(2): 128

 

 PhD students: 1

Rajni Mala

Lab services information:

Specimen from the STD clinics and Gynaecology Department are received for screening for the reproductive tract infection (RTI) or the bacterial STIs. The direct smears for Bacterial Vaginosis or vaginitis are screened. Microscopy and cultures for N. gonorrhoeae and the antibiotic resistance monitoring is undertaken. Besides the semen specimens & EPS are cultured in suspected bacterial infections. PCR for N. gonorrhoeae and C. trachomatis for genital & extragenital samples is available. Culture & PCR for T. vaginalis is also available. PCR for Treponema pallidum from ulcer lesions/ blood is also available.