Department of Microbiology

  • Department
  • HOD Profile
  • Faculty Members
  • Publications
  • Activities

Department

The Department of Microbiology was established in 2010, headed by eminent microbiologists and staff members as per MCI requirement.

The undergraduate MBBS & BDS students of this institution are taught Microbiology at the college campus.

A total of 8 technicians are available for carrying out diagnostic work in hospital.

Diagnostic work in various areas like Immuno – Serology, Mycology, Bacteriology, Virology and Parasitological are carried out 24 x 7 at the first floor of the hospital. Patients are also referred from Department of Pulmonary Medicine under the RNTCP programme. The ICTC programme of TANSACS is also carried out by this department.

This Department looks after the Infection Control programme of the hospital and the antibiotic steward ship is maintained. Meetings are held at periodic intervals with the HOD’s of various clinical departments to discuss about infection control findings. Monitoring the Operation Theatres and Intensive Care Units are done at regular intervals. Training program for CRRI and the nursing staff has been conducted on 17/3/2016 and from 18/1/2016 to 29/1/2016 respectively.

Central Research Laboratory with facility for doing PCR and other Research activities is housed in the Department of Microbiology in college block.

Three Continuing Medical Education programme have been conducted till date in the form of two day workshops. The following are the topics with date:

S.NoDateTopic
1.18.09.2014 & 19.09.2014“STATISTICS FOR MEDICAL RESEARCH”
2.30.07.2015 & 31.07.2015“COMPUTER AIDED DRUG DESIGN FOR INFECTIOUS AND NON INFECTIOUS DISEASES”
3.23.06.2016 & 24.06.2016“MICROBIOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF FOOD AND WATER IN HOSPITALS AND HEALTH CARE SETTINGS”

They have been accredited by The Tamil Nadu Dr.M.G.R. Medical University and Tamil Nadu Medical Council.

A Guest Lecture was conducted on Elimination of HIV – Recent updates in HIV & ART. Delivered by Dr.A.Sathish Kumar, Associate Director, SAATHI on 02.12.2014.

37 Research papers have been published in accredited journals. There are eight more ongoing projects.

HOD Profile

Qualification

  • MBBS – Kilpauk Medical College (1996)
  • MD – PSG Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (2010)

Experience

  • 16

Areas of Interest / Specialization

  • Microbiology

Field of Expertise

  • Bacteriology, Infection Prevention

Membership

  • Indian Medical Association, American Society of Microbiology

Publications (in numbers)

  • 14

Awards / Achievements

  • Lifetime Achievement Award – 2025
  • Best Paper Award – Vinbasix 2012

Dr. Priya Santharam MBBS.,MD.
Professor & HOD of Microbiology.,


Tagore Medical College & Hospital.

Faculty Members

Professor & HOD
Dr. P. R. Thenmozhivalli
M.D.
Professor
Dr. Priya Santharam
M.D.,
Dr. Sony Paul
M.Sc., Ph.D.,
Associate Professor
Dr. I. Kannan
M.Sc., Ph.D.
Dr. P. Savetha
MD
Dr. V. Preethi
MD.,
Assistant Professor
Dr. C. Malini Evangeline Rose
MD
Dr. A. Divya Bharathi
M.D.,
Dr. J. Vignesh Chandran
MD.,
Dr. M. Iswarya
M.D.,
Dr. A. Saranya
MD.,
Senior Resident
Dr. S. Kabilan
MBBS.,
Dr. V. Punithavathi
MD.,
Dr. L. Anitha
MBBS.,
Dr. S. Keerthana
MBBS.,
Post Graduate
Dr. M. Thilagavathy
MBBS.,
Dr. M. Manasha
MBBS.,
Dr. S. Priyanga
MBBS.,
Dr. M. Keerthana
MBBS.,
Dr. A. Mohamed Sulthan
MBBS.,

Completed / Ongoing Research

  • Vasudevan J, Dinesh K, Mannu A, Kannan I. Knowledge and perception of paediatric COVID-19 among interns and final year medical students: A cross-sectional study. Special Issue – COVID-19 and Other Communicable Disease. 2022:128-133. (Indexed in Scopus).
  • Lavanya DS, Sony P, Kannan I, Thenmozhivalli PR. Assessment of knowledge, attitude and practices of personal protective equipment among health care providers in Tamil Nadu, South India. Int J Occup Saf Health. 2023;13(4):450-459. (Indexed in Scopus).
  • Palaneswamy S, Srikumar A, Kannan I, Rathinam TP. Assessment of knowledge, attitude and practices of biomedical waste management among health care workers in a tertiary care hospital, Chengalpattu, Tamil Nadu, India. Int J Occup Saf Health. 2024;14(1):124-133. doi:10.3126/ijosh.v14i1.52697. (Indexed in Scopus).
  • Balakrishnan P, Vignesh R, Ganesh PS, Shanmugam S, Kannan I, Sivamalar S, Raju S, Velu V, Shankar EM, Sucharitha ST. Oral fluid versus blood in HIV self-testing: A step towards the “95-95-95” targets of the UNAIDS. Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis. 2025;113(1):116867. doi:10.1016/j.diagmicrobio.2025.116867. (Indexed in Scopus, PubMed and Web of Science).
  • Sony Paul, Kannan I. Isolation and identification of Candida species in tobacco users – A cross sectional study. Faculty research project (Self funded).
  • Savetha P, Malini Evageline Rose, Kannan I, Thenmozhivalli PR. Detection of virulence genes in uropathogenic Escherichia coli isolated at a tertiary care hospital – A cross sectional study. Faculty research project (Self funded).
  • Preethi, Kannan I, Vignesh Chandran. Serological and molecular epidemiology of dengue virus infection in a tertiary care hospital in Chengalpattu, South India. Faculty research project (Self funded).
  • Manasha, Thenmozhivalli PR. Prevalence and molecular characterization of Hepatitis B virus in patients with different clinical manifestations: A hospital-based study. Postgraduate research project (Self funded).
  • Priyanga, Thenmozhivalli PR. Antibiotic sensitivity pattern of teicoplanin in Staphylococcus aureus and methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolates from clinical samples in a tertiary care hospital of Chengalpattu district and its phenotypic and molecular characterization. Postgraduate research project (Self funded).
  • Thilagavathy, Savetha P. Phenotypic characterization and molecular detection of MBL producing Pseudomonas aeruginosa among clinical samples and susceptibility pattern of Aztreonam plus Ceftazidime-Avibactam in a tertiary care hospital. Postgraduate research project (Self funded).
  • Keerthna, Preethi. Biofilm production in Klebsiella pneumoniae clinical isolates: Phenotypic detection and MrKD gene analysis. Postgraduate research project (Self funded).
  • Mohamed Sulthan, Savetha P. Phenotypic and genotypic characterization of blaNDM and blaOXA-48 like genes in carbapenemase producing Escherichia coli isolated from various clinical samples in a tertiary care hospital. Postgraduate research project (Self funded).
  • Swetha P, Malini Evageline Rose. In-vitro activity of vancomycin and vancomycin/cefazolin combination against methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus in a tertiary care centre. Undergraduate research project (ICMR).
  • Mirza Saaniya Manhaaz, Sony Paul. Mycobiome fingerprints: Distinguishing alcohol-associated and non-alcohol associated fatty liver disease. Undergraduate research project (ICMR).
  • Krithika, Kannan I. A study on the impact of urban environment on malaria incidence and mosquito vector dynamics in Chennai – A prospective study. Undergraduate research project (ICMR).
  • Mirza Saaniya Manhaaz, Divyabharathi. A biomarker for prediction and diagnosis of diabetic foot ulcer. Undergraduate research project (Tagore-STS).
  • Kanishka R, Divyabharathi. Role of novel biomarker MCP-1 in early diagnosis and predicting progression of nephropathy in diabetic patients. Undergraduate research project (Tagore-STS).
  • Sindhujaa R, Divyabharathi. Evaluation of cardiovascular disease prognosis based on markers such as IL-6 and C-reactive protein in high risk patients with type II diabetes mellitus. Undergraduate research project (Tagore-STS).
  • CME on “Antimicrobial Resistance” to commemorate World Antibiotic Awareness week.
  • Webinar on “Microbes Ammunition- An Approach To Pandemic”on 31/1/2022
  • World AIDS Day-2021,(Theme- ‘End Inequalities-End Aids’) Webinar was organized by department of Microbiology and Community medicine.
  • Add on course for second year MBBS students on the topic “Hospital Infection Control Practices” was conducted on 20.12.2021.
  • “Antimicrobial Resistance” to commemorate World Antibiotic Awareness week.