Dr. Sribal Selvarajan is an Assistant Professor of Microbiology at Sri Ramachandra Medical College and Research Institute, Chennai, India. He holds an MBBS, an MD in Microbiology, and a PhD in Clinical Virology and Molecular Biology. His primary expertise lies in molecular epidemiology of infectious diseases, with a particular focus on rotavirus and norovirus. His research explores the molecular characterization and clinical correlates of gastroenteritis-causing viruses, contributing to a deeper understanding of their epidemiology and public health impact.
Dr. Sribal Selvarajan has been actively engaged in national and international collaborations, including multi-centric studies with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, USA, and the Scheme for Promotion of Academic and Research Collaboration (SPARC) project with the University of Tennessee. He has presented his research at several prestigious forums, such as the India|EMBO Symposium on RNA Viruses in Faridabad, the National Virology Conference at Christian Medical College, Vellore, and the Twelfth International Double-Stranded RNA Virus Symposium in Goa.
At SRIHER, Dr. Sribal Selvarajan plays several key roles beyond teaching and research. He serves as Deputy Quality Manager for Central Laboratory Services, Infection Control Officer in Sri Ramachandra Hospital, and member of the Patient Safety Committee and Foundation Committee. His expertise extends to bioinformatics, particularly Sanger sequence and mutational analysis, and he has undergone specialized training in infection control and antimicrobial stewardship.
He is frequently invited to deliver lectures and training sessions, including the Infectious Disease Online Course and the Clinical Pharmacy Skill Development Series, where he shares insights on viral gastroenteritis, antimicrobial stewardship, and infection control. Currently, he supervises PhD research spanning respiratory viruses, meningitis, Acinetobacter baumannii in healthcare-associated pneumonia, and HPV screening in cervical and urine samples. Through his research, teaching, and administrative roles, Dr. Sribal Selvarajan continues to contribute to advancing microbiology and improving public health outcomes.
The concept of this study was to identify, quantify, and sequence the commonly circulating genogroups/types of Rotavirus and Norovirus. It aimed to determine the proportion of acute gastroenteritis in children and adults that was caused by Rotavirus and Norovirus in a tertiary care centre in South India. The molecular component of the study involved performing RT-PCR for detection and sequencing of Rotavirus and Norovirus and correlating the findings clinically. Partial genomic sequencing was carried out to understand the reassortant transmission of Rotavirus strains. The cycle threshold values of real-time PCR for Norovirus were used as a semi-quantitative measure and correlated with a common scale to assess the severity of various genotypes. This project was conducted under the Indian Medical Council Talent Search Scheme.
This study, titled “HPV/Pap Co-testing –A prompt strategy to ward off Cervical Cancer,” was conducted at Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research in Chennai, India. The cross-sectional study involved 165 women aged 30-65 years, surpassing the initial target of 123 participants. The research combined Pap smear screening with Human Papillomavirus (HPV) testing to detect cervical abnormalities and HPV presence. Pap smears were processed using a fully automated filtration technique and reported following the 2001 Bethesda system. HPV screening was performed using real-time PCR to detect and genotype high-risk HPV strains. The study found an HPV prevalence of 3.03%, with HPV 18 and HPV 56 being the most common genotypes (1.8% each). Importantly, 50% of the detected high-risk HPV genotypes (HPV 56 and HPV 66) are not covered by current HPV vaccines, highlighting the need for ongoing surveillance and comprehensive genotyping in cervical cancer prevention strategies.
Life member – L-1158
LM-3797