JIIT

Academic Experts

Prof. Vibha Rani

Professor

vibha.rani@jiit.ac.in

Biography

Dr. Vibha Rani is a Professor in the Department of Biotechnology at Jaypee Institute of Information Technology (JIIT), Noida, India. She earned her Doctorate from the School of Life Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi, and has since built a distinguished academic and research career. Over the past sixteen years, she has been mentoring doctoral scholars and leading pioneering work in the fields of stress-induced anomalies and development-related diseases.

An accomplished woman scientist, Dr. Rani has been honoured with the A.R. Rao Memorial Young Scientist Award, S.C. Tyagi Young Faculty Award, Academic Brilliance Young Faculty Award, and the South Asian Award for Excellence in Research, among others. In recognition of her sustained contributions, she was ranked among the top 2% scientists in the world in both 2023 and 2024, as per the global ranking released by Stanford University.

Her research portfolio is marked by innovation and societal impact. With extramural support from national agencies including DST, ICMR, SERB, and DBT, she is pushing the boundaries of biotechnology by exploring Phyto molecule-driven therapeutics and microRNA-based interventions. She envisions creating next-generation, nature-inspired drugs to prevent and manage complex disorders such as cardiomyopathy, diabetes, and breast cancer.

Dr. Rani’s work blends traditional knowledge with modern molecular biology to design therapies that are safer, sustainable, and affordable. Her commitment to translational research and innovation-driven healthcare positions her as a thought leader in developing biotechnological solutions for pressing human health challenges. Her findings, published widely in reputed international journals, continue to influence and inspire the global scientific community.

Research Highlights

Our research focuses on understanding stress-mediated mechanisms and developing natural bioactive compounds and microRNA-based therapeutics to address severe human disorders such as cardiomyopathy, diabetes, and breast cancer. We have established the cardio-protective potential of Phyto molecules, including Syzygium cumini seed extracts and Curcumin from Curcuma longa, the latter showing strong promise as a cardio-oncological therapeutic in mitigating drug-induced cardiotoxicity. In addition, we are investigating gut dysbiosis and its correction through herbal interventions, aiming to restore microbial balance and improve systemic health outcomes. Our work also explores cross-kingdom epigenetic regulation, studying how plant-derived molecules and microbial factors influence human gene expression and disease progression. To support these investigations, we integrate wet-lab experimentation with next-generation sequencing (NGS), multi-omics analyses, and computational modeling to uncover key regulators and molecular targets involved in development and disease. By combining traditional knowledge with cutting-edge technologies, our lab advances a systems-level understanding of disease biology and contributes to the development of innovative, nature-inspired, and precision-driven therapeutic strategies.

Areas Of Interest

Phyto molecule-based therapeutics for cardiometabolic and cancer diseases
MicroRNA regulation in cardiac development and pathologies
Herbal interventions for gut dysbiosis and metabolic health
Cross-kingdom epigenetic regulation in human diseases
Omics-driven and computational discovery of novel therapeutic targets

Patents

Principle Investigator: Patent titled “Poly Ribonucleotide Sequence [(Tag)7 C2] As Type Iv Collagenase Natural Inhibitor” Jaypee Institute of Information Technology; Patent Application No.: 202011020344; Publication date: 19.11.2021.
Principle Investigator: Patent titled “Polynucleotide Novel Molecule in Cardiovascular Therapeutics”; Indian Patent Application No. 202111005772 Publication date: 25.02.2022.
Principle Investigator: Patent titled: “ASa Compound as TMA Inhibitor in Diabetic Cardiomyopathy” Indian Patent Application No. 202211060672 Status: Publication date: 28.10.2022.