JIIT

Academic Experts

Prof. Rachana

Professor

rachana@mail.jiit.ac.in

Biography

Dr. Rachana is a distinguished academician, researcher, and professor in the Department of Biotechnology at Jaypee Institute of Information Technology (JIIT), Noida. With a Ph.D. in Biotechnology from the School of Biosciences & Bioengineering, IIT Bombay, and a Master’s in Biotechnology from IIT Roorkee, she has over two decades of expertise spanning academics, research, and innovation.

Her research focuses on natural products, phytomedicine, nanotherapeutics, and drug delivery systems for complex health challenges such as respiratory disorders, cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, and inflammatory conditions. She has supervised multiple Ph.D., M.Tech, and B.Tech scholars, guiding impactful projects at the intersection of biotechnology, pharmacology, and clinical research.

Dr. Rachana’s contributions extend to more than 60 international publications 26 book chapters, 2 patents, 3 books and 2 monographs and editorial roles in reputed journals. She has also been actively involved in organizing national and international conferences, strengthening institute-industry linkages, and contributing to quality assurance and innovation initiatives at JIIT.

Her academic and research excellence has been recognized with several national and international honors, including the IWAA Women Achievers Award (2017), Golden Global Award for Health and Education (2019), Eminent Women Scientist Award (2021), Excellence in Phytomedicine and Therapeutics Award (2021), and Nari Shakti Award (2025).

Beyond teaching and research, Dr. Rachana serves on advisory boards, academic councils, and professional societies, reflecting her leadership in advancing biotechnology and life sciences. She continues to inspire the scientific community through her commitment to education, innovation, and translational research for societal benefit.

Research Highlights

Dr. Rachana’s research contributions span the fields of nanotherapeutics, phytomedicine, and advanced drug delivery systems, with a focus on translating natural products into effective biomedical applications. Her doctoral research at IIT Bombay pioneered surfactant therapy for Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), resulting in two Indian patents for novel pulmonary surfactant formulations addressing both ARDS and Neonatal Respiratory Distress Syndrome (NRDS).

She has extensively explored nanobiotechnology-based delivery systems, including nanoemulsions, liposomes, and gels for treating respiratory illnesses, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, and various cancers. By combining nanotechnology with herbal bioactives, her work demonstrates enhanced therapeutic efficacy, targeted delivery, and reduced toxicity.

A significant portion of her research is dedicated to phytomedicine, focusing on bioactive compounds from plants such as Salacia oblonga, Adhatoda vasica, Ginkgo biloba, Punica granatum, and Picrorhiza kurroa. These studies have provided new insights into natural therapies for *oxidative stress, inflammatory disorders, respiratory conditions, and neurodegeneration.

Her group has developed novel approaches for intranasal drug delivery targeting neurodegenerative diseases, as well as transdermal and micellar formulations for skin cancer treatment. She has also contributed to identifying bioactive compounds with antiviral and immunomodulatory properties, particularly in the context of COVID-19.

Dr. Rachana has supervised more than 50 B.Tech, 11 M.Tech, and 3 Ph.D. scholars (with 4 ongoing), guiding impactful projects in biotechnology and pharmacology. With over 60 international publications, book chapters, and editorial roles, her work reflects a strong commitment to advancing translational research for global health and wellness.

Areas Of Interest

Nanobiotechnology & Drug Delivery Systems
Phytomedicine & Natural Products
Respiratory Disorders (ARDS/ASTHMA/Cancer)
Neurodegenerative (AD/PD) Diseases
Cancer Therapeutics (Skin/Breast/Lung)
Metabolic & Lifestyle Disorders
Infectious & Emerging Diseases

Publications

Rachana & R. Banerjee (2004) Interaction between haematological derivatives and dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine: implication in Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Colloids and Surfaces B: Biointerfaces, 34, 95–104. (Scopus, Impact factor ~4.3; pioneering ARDS surfactant therapy research.)
Manisha Singh, Shriya Agarwal, Rachana et al. (2021) Neuroprotective Ability of Apocynin Loaded Nanoparticles as NADPH Oxidase Modulator for Oxidative Neuronal Injuries, Molecules, 26(16):5011. (Scopus & PubMed indexed; IF ~4.9; significant nanotherapeutic approach for CNS disorders.)
Rachana R.*, Vaibhav Gandhi, Ishan Wadi, Tanya Gupta, Divya Jindal, Vinayak Agarwal, Ashok Tiwari, Saurabh Kumar Jha, Raj Kumar Tiwari, Silpi Chanda, Chakresh Kumar Jain, and Manisha Singh (2023). A model of interaction between apocynin and NADPH oxidase enzyme to analyse the possible targets responsible for inhibition by computational analysis. Cellular Physiology and Biochemistry, 57, 169–181. https://doi.org/10.33594/000000632 (Scopus & PubMed indexed; Impact Factor 5.5)
Rachana R.*, Harshit Devtalla, Karishma Rana, Siva Prasad Panda, Arushi Agrawal, Shreya Kadyan, Divya Jindal, Pranav Pancham, Deepshikha Yadav, Niraj Kumar Jha, Saurabh Kumar Jha, Vivek Gupta, and Manisha Singh (2023). A comprehensive update on genetic inheritance, epigenetic factors, associated pathology, and recent therapeutic intervention by gene therapy in schizophrenia. Chemistry & Biology Drug Design, 00, 1–24. https://doi.org/10.1111/cbdd.14374 (Scopus & PubMed indexed; Impact Factor ~3.)
Nilay Solanki, Rohinee Dodiya, Dhruvi Vejpara, Smruti Azad, Mehul Patel, Swayamprakash Patel, Umang Shah, Arun Soni, Rajesh Maheshwari, Archana Navale, Ashish Patel, Sandip Patel, Devang Sheth, Pravin Tirgar, and Rachana R. (2025).* Adenosine receptor subtype modulators: Insight into molecular mechanisms and their therapeutic application. American Journal of Translational Research, 17(4), 2376–2395. https://doi.org/10.62347/ZYVY9443 (Web of Science, PubMed, PubMed Central, Google Scholar, Scopus indexed; IF 4.040.)