Education

2015 – PhD, Neuroscience, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, School of Graduate Studies, New Orleans, Louisiana

2007 – MS, Botany, with specialization in Molecular Plant Pathology & Microbiology, University of Calcutta, Kolkata, India

2005 – BS, Botany (Honors) with Zoology and Chemistry, University of Calcutta, Kolkata, India

PhD Dissertation – Bhattacharjee, S. 2015. MicroRNA (miRNA) mediated disease signaling in neural and retinal degeneration. MENTOR – W.J. Lukiw, PhD

MS Thesis – Bhattacharjee, S. 2007. Studies on anti-aggregatory effect and pharmacognistic profile of a wild edible mushroom, Hygrophorus miniatus Fr. MENTOR – Krishnendu Acharya, PhD

Publications

Complete list of publications can be found here:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/1FknyY4cFeq5L/bibliography/public/

• Calandria J, Bhattacharjee S, Maness NJ, Kautzman MAK-I, Asatryan A, Gordon WC, Do K-V, Mukherjee PK, Petasis NA, Bazan NG. Elovanoids downregulate SARS-CoV-2 cell-entry, canonical mediators and enhance protective signaling in human alveolar cells. Sci Rep. 2021 10;11(1):12324. PMID:34112906

• Bazan HA, Bhattacharjee S, Burgos C, Recio J, Abet V, Pahng AR, Jun B, Heap J, Ledet AJ, Gordon WC, Edwards S, Paul D, Alvarez-Builla J, Bazan NG. A novel pipeline of 2-(benzenesulfonamide)-N-(4-hydroxyphenyl) acetamide analgesics that lack hepatoxicity and retain antipyresis. European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry 202 (2020) 112600

• Das M, Bhattacharjee S, Fronczek FR, Bazan NG, Trudell ML. Synthesis, hepatotoxic evaluation and antipyretic activity of nitrate ester analogs of the acetaminophen derivative SCP-1. Bioorg Med Chem Lett. 2018 Sep 17:S0960-894X(18)30751-0. PMID:30327145

• Gordon WC, López VG, Bhattacharjee S, Gil DR, Díaz JA, de la Losa FP, Peláez RP, Ferrer CT, Bacchini GS, Jun B, Varoqui H, Bazan NG. A Nonsteroidal novel formulation targeting Inflammatory and Pruritus-related Mediators modulates experimental Allergic Contact Dermatitis. Dermatol Ther (Heidelb). 2018 Mar 8:(1):111-126. PMID:29453524

• Bhattacharjee S, Jun B, Belayev L, Heap J, Kautzmann MA, Obenaus A, Menghani H, Marcell SJ, Khoutorova L, Yang R, Petasis NA, Bazan NG. Elovanoids are a novel class of homeostatic lipid mediators that protect neural cell integrity upon injury. Sci Adv. 2017 Sep 27;3(9):e1700735. PMID:28959727

• Jun B, Mukherjee PK, Asatryan A, Kautzmann MA, Heap J, Gordon WC, Bhattacharjee S, Yang R, Petasis NA, Bazan NG. Elovanoids are novel cell-specific lipid mediators necessary for neuroprotective signaling for photoreceptor cell integrity. Sci Rep. 2017 Jul 13;7(1):5279. PMID:287706274

• Musto AE, Rosencrans RF, Walker CP, Bhattacharjee S, Raulji CM, Belayev L, Fang Z, Gordon WC, Bazan NG. Dysfunctional epileptic neuronal circuits and dysmorphic dendritic spines are mitigated by platelet-activating factor receptor antagonism. Sci Rep. 2016 Jul 22;6:30298. PMID:27444269 Corrigendum: PMID:27586961

• Bhattacharjee S, Zhao Y, Dua P, Rogaev EI, Lukiw WJ. microRNA-34a-Mediated Down-Regulation of the Microglial-Enriched Triggering Receptor and Phagocytosis-Sensor TREM2 in Age-Related Macular Degeneration. PLoS One. 2016;11(3):e0150211. PMID:26949937

• Zhao Y, Bhattacharjee S, Jones BM, Hill JM, Clement C, Sambamurti K, Dua P, Lukiw WJ. Beta-Amyloid Precursor Protein (βAPP) Processing in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD). Mol Neurobiol. 2014 Sep 10. PMID:25204496

• Zhao Y, Hill JM, Bhattacharjee S, Percy ME, Pogue AI, Lukiw WJ. Aluminum-induced amyloidogenesis and impairment in the clearance of amyloid peptides from the central nervous system in Alzheimer's disease. Front Neurol. 2014 Sep 5; 5:167. PMID:25250012

• Bhattacharjee S, Zhao Y, Lukiw WJ. Deficits in the miRNA-34a-regulated endogenous TREM2 phagocytosis sensor-receptor in Alzheimer's disease (AD); an update. Front Aging Neurosci. 2014 Jun 17; 6:116. PMID:24987367

• Hill JM, Clement C, Pogue AI, Bhattacharjee S, Zhao Y, Lukiw WJ. Pathogenic microbes, the microbiome, and Alzheimer's disease (AD). Front Aging Neurosci. 2014 Jun 16; 6:127. PMID:24982633

• Bhattacharjee S, Zhao Y, Hill JM, Percy ME, Lukiw WJ. Aluminum and its potential contribution to Alzheimer's disease (AD). Front Aging Neurosci. 2014 Apr 8; 6:62. PMID:24782759

• Hill JM, Bhattacharjee S, Pogue AI, Lukiw WJ. The gastrointestinal tract microbiome and potential link to Alzheimer's disease. Front Neurol. 2014 Apr 4; 5:43. PMID:24772103

• Jones BM, Bhattacharjee S, Dua P, Hill JM, Zhao Y, Lukiw WJ. Regulating amyloidogenesis through the natural triggering receptor expressed in myeloid/microglial cells 2 (TREM2). Front Cell Neurosci. 2014 Mar 31; 8:94. PMID:24744699

• Hill JM, Zhao Y, Bhattacharjee S, Lukiw WJ. MiRNAs and viroids utilize common strategies in genetic signal transfer. Front Mol Neurosci. 2014 Feb 10; 7:10. PMID:24574963

• Zhao Y, Bhattacharjee S, Jones BM, Hill J, Dua P, Lukiw WJ. Regulation of neurotropic signaling by the inducible, NF-kB-sensitive miRNA-125b in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and in primary human neuronal-glial (HNG) cells. Mol Neurobiol. 2014 Aug; 50(1):97-106. PMID:24293102

• Alexandrov PN, Zhao Y, Jones BM, Bhattacharjee S, Lukiw WJ. Expression of the phagocytosis-essential protein TREM2 is down-regulated by an aluminum-induced miRNA-34a in a murine microglial cell line. J Inorg Biochem. 2013 Nov; 128:267-9. PMID:23778113

• Bhattacharjee S, Zhao Y, Hill JM, Culicchia F, Kruck TP, Percy ME, Pogue AI, Walton JR, Lukiw WJ. Selective accumulation of aluminum in cerebral arteries in Alzheimer's disease (AD). J Inorg Biochem. 2013 Sep; 126:35-7. PMID:23764827

• Bhattacharjee S, Lukiw WJ. Alzheimer's disease and the microbiome. Front Cell Neurosci. 2013 Sep 17; 7:153. PMID:24062644

• Zhao Y, Bhattacharjee S, Jones BM, Dua P, Alexandrov PN, Hill JM, Lukiw WJ. Regulation of TREM2 expression by an NF-кB-sensitive miRNA-34a. Neuroreport. 2013 Apr 17; 24(6):318-23. PMID:23462268

• Lukiw WJ, Alexandrov PN, Zhao Y, Hill JM, Bhattacharjee S. Spreading of Alzheimer's disease inflammatory signaling through soluble micro-RNA. Neuroreport. 2012 Jul 11; 23(10):621-6. PMID:22660168

• Alexandrov PN, Dua P, Hill JM, Bhattacharjee S, Zhao Y, Lukiw WJ. MicroRNA (miRNA) speciation in Alzheimer's disease (AD) cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and extracellular fluid (ECF). Int J Biochem Mol Biol. 2012; 3(4):365-73. PMID:23301201

• Pogue AI, Jones BM, Bhattacharjee S, Percy ME, Zhao Y, Lukiw WJ. Metal-Sulfate Induced Generation of ROS in Human Brain Cells: Detection Using an Isomeric Mixture of 5- and 6-Carboxy-2', 7’-Dichlorofluorescein Diacetate (Carboxy-DCFDA) as a Cell Permeant Tracer. Int J Mol Sci. 2012; 13(8):9615-26. PMID:22949820

• Lukiw WJ, Bhattacharjee S, Dua P, Alexandrov PN. Common micro RNAs (miRNAs) target complement factor H (CFH) regulation in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and in age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Int J Biochem Mol Biol. 2012; 3(1):105-16. PMID:22509485

• Li YY, Alexandrov PN, Pogue AI, Zhao Y, Bhattacharjee S, Lukiw WJ. MiRNA-155 upregulation and complement factor H deficits in Down's syndrome. Neuroreport. 2012 Feb 15; 23(3):168-73. PMID:22182977

• Lukiw WJ, Bhattacharjee S, Zhao Y, Pogue AI, Percy ME. Generation of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) and Pro-Inflammatory Signaling in human brain cells in primary culture. J Alzheimer’s Dis Parkinsonism 2012 Jan 25; Suppl2:001. PMID:24619568

• Pogue AI, Percy ME, Cui JG, Li YY, Bhattacharjee S, Hill JM, Kruck TP, Zhao Y, Lukiw WJ. Up-regulation of NF-κB-sensitive miRNA-125b and miRNA-146a in metal-sulfate stressed human astroglial (HAG) primary cell cultures. J Inorganic Biochem. 2011 Nov; 105(11)1434-7. PMID:22099153

• Li YY, Cui JG, Dua P, Pogue AI, Bhattacharjee S, Lukiw WJ. Differential expression of miRNA-146a-regulated inflammatory genes in human primary neural, astroglial and microglial cells. Neurosci Lett. 2011 Jul 20; 499(2):109-13. Erratum in: Neurosci Lett. 2012 Jun 27; 520(1):126. PMID:21640790

• Alexandrov PN, Pogue A, Bhattacharjee S, Lukiw WJ. Retinal amyloid peptides and complement factor H in transgenic models of Alzheimer's disease. Neuroreport. 2011 Aug 24; 22(12):623-7. PMID:21734608

• Cui JG, Li YY, Zhao Y, Bhattacharjee S, Lukiw WJ. Differential regulation of interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase-1 (IRAK-1) and IRAK-2 by microRNA-146a and NF-κB in stressed human astroglial cells and in Alzheimer disease. J Biol Chem. 2010 Dec 10; 285(50):38951-60. PMID:20937840

Abstracts & Posters/Presentations:

1. Role of microRNA–125b (miRNA-125b) in the human brain – functions in astrogliosis and glial cell proliferation. S Bhattacharjee, JG Cui, F Culicchia, NG Bazan, PK Mukherjee, WJ Lukiw, LSU Neuroscience Center and Department of Neurosurgery, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA 70112 USA – presented at the 24th Annual Graduate Research Day, organized by the School of Graduate Studies, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA 70112 USA on October 22, 2010.

2. Targeting of complement factor – H (CFH) expression by microRNAs (miRNAs) and anti-miRNA (Antagomir, AM) strategies. S Bhattacharjee, KP Pfefferle, WJ Lukiw, LSU Neuroscience Center, LSUHSC, New Orleans, LA 70112 – presented at the 2011 annual meeting on RNA & Oligonucleotide Therapeutics, organized at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, on December 6, 2011.

3. Elevated expression of a pro-inflammatory, NF-κB-regulated micro RNA-146a in the primary visual cortex of late-stage Alzheimer’s disease (AD). S Bhattacharjee, Y Zhao, P Dua, WJ Lukiw, LSU Neuroscience Center, LSUHSC, New Orleans, LA 70112 – presented at the 2011 Association for Research in Vision & Ophthalmology (ARVO), Ft. Lauderdale FL, USA.

4. Regulation of Complement Factor H (CFH; chr 1q32) by multiple micro RNAs (miRNAs) in human brain and retina. WJ Lukiw, S Bhattacharjee, Y Zhao, LSU Neuroscience Center, LSUHSC, New Orleans, LA 70112 – presented at the 2012 Association for Research in Vision & Ophthalmology (ARVO) Annual Meeting, Ft. Lauderdale FL, USA.

5. Regulation of TREM2 expression by an inducible, NF-kB-sensitive miRNA-34a. WJ Lukiw, S Bhattacharjee, Y Zhao, LSU Neuroscience Center, LSUHSC, New Orleans, LA 70112 – presented at the 2012 Society for Neuroscience (SFN), San Diego CA, USA.

6. Common mechanisms for TREM2 (chr6p21.1) and CFH (chr1q32) regulation by NF-kB-sensitive miRNAs in age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). WJ Lukiw, S Bhattacharjee, Y Zhao, LSU Neuroscience Center, LSUHSC, New Orleans, LA 70112 – presented at the Asia-ARVO; 28-31 October 2013, Ashok International Convention and Exhibition Centre, New Delhi, INDIA.

7. Very long-chain fatty acid-containing phosphatidylcholine molecular species are altered in Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD). S Bhattacharjee, B Jun, WC Gordon, NG Bazan, LSU Neuroscience Center, LSUHSC, New Orleans, LA 70112 – presented at the 7th International Conference on Phospholipase A2 and Lipid Mediators – from bench to Translational Medicine meeting; 19-20 May 2016, Scripps Forum, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.

8. Elovanoids are a novel class of homeostatic lipid mediators that protect neural cell integrity upon injury. S Bhattacharjee, B Jun, L Belayev, J Heap, M-A Kautzmann, A Obenaus, H Menghani, S J. Marcell, L Khoutorova, R Yang, NA Petasis, NG Bazan, LSU Neuroscience Center, LSUHSC, New Orleans, LA 70112 – presented on October 27, 2017, at the Annual Neuroscience Retreat organized by Greater New Orleans Society for New Orleans, GNOSN and the Neuroscience Center of Excellence, LSUHSC.

9. Enhanced COX-2 and ASC protein abundance in human retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells are attenuated by Elovanoids (ELV) under uncompensated oxidative stress (UOS). PK Mukherjee, S Bhattacharjee, NG Bazan, LSU Neuroscience Center, LSUHSC, New Orleans, LA 70112 – presented at the 2018 Association for Research in Vision & Ophthalmology (ARVO); April 29-May 3, 2018, Honolulu, HI, USA.

10. Telomerase activity is targeted by Elovanoids upon uncompensated oxidative stress (UOS) in human retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells. S Bhattacharjee, NG Bazan, LSU Neuroscience Center, LSUHSC, New Orleans, LA 70112 – presented at the 2018 Association for Research in Vision & Ophthalmology (ARVO); April 29-May 3, 2018, Honolulu, HI, USA.

11. Elovanoids are Neuroprotective in Experimental Ischemic Stroke and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). NG Bazan, S Bhattacharjee, J Heap, NA Petasis, A Obenaus, L Belayev, LSU Neuroscience Center, LSUHSC, New Orleans, LA 70112 – presented at the 2018 Military Health System Research Symposium (MHSRS); August 20-23, 2018, Kissimmee, FL, USA.

12. Discovery of novel Acetaminophen analogs with no hepatotoxicity and retained analgesia and antipyresis: Lack of NAPQI formation explains safety profile. NG Bazan, S Bhattacharjee, J Heap, B Jun, HA Bazan, LSU Neuroscience Center, LSUHSC, New Orleans, LA 70112, South Rampart Pharma, LLC, New Orleans, LA 70118, Section of Vascular/Endovascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, Ochsner Clinic, New Orleans, LA 70115, – presented at the 2018 Military Health System Research Symposium (MHSRS); August 20-23 2018, Kissimmee, FL, USA.

13. Telomerase activity and telomere length are restored by Elovanoids (ELV) upon exposure to uncompensated oxidative stress or oligomeric amyloid β in human retinal pigment epithelial cells (RPE). S Bhattacharjee, NA Petasis, NG Bazan, LSU Neuroscience Center, LSUHSC, New Orleans, LA 70112 – presented at the 2019 Association for Research in Vision & Ophthalmology (ARVO); April 28-May 2, 2019, Vancouver, BC, Canada.

14. Elovanoids (ELV) protect telomere length shortening and restore Telomerase activity upon exposure to uncompensated oxidative stress (UOS) or oligomeric amyloid β (Oaβ) recapitulating brain injury. S Bhattacharjee, NG Bazan, LSU Neuroscience Center, LSUHSC, New Orleans, LA 70112 – presented at the 15th Annual Conference on Brain Injury, “Best Practices in Brain Injury Medicine and Neurorehabilitation: Improving Outcomes through Interdisciplinary Collaboration, February 27-29, 2020, New Orleans, LA.

15. Elovanoids reduce microtubule-associated protein tau (MAPT) missorting. AJ Ledet, S Bhattacharjee, NG Bazan, LSU Neuroscience Center, LSUHSC, New Orleans, LA 70112 – presented at the 15th Annual Conference on Brain Injury, “Best Practices in Brain Injury Medicine and Neurorehabilitation: Improving Outcomes through Interdisciplinary Collaboration, February 27-29, 2020, New Orleans, LA.

16. Novel neuroprotective Elovanoids (ELVs) modulate Tau hyperphosphorylation (Tau-HP), microtubule-associated protein tau (MAPT) missorting, and neuronal integrity in a cellular model of Alzheimer’s disease. S Bhattacharjee, PK Mukherjee, AJ Ledet, C Polk, N Desai, NA Petasis, NG Bazan, LSU Neuroscience Center, LSUHSC, New Orleans, LA 70112 – to be presented at SFN Global Connectome; A Virtual Event; January 11-13, 2021.

Research

As a basic molecular neurobiologist, I am very interested in studying the molecular mechanisms of the neurobiology of aging, pain, and analgesia. During my PhD training, I worked with small non-coding RNAs, especially micro RNAs (miRNAs), and how they are involved in cell cycle regulation, inflammatory signaling, synaptogenesis, apoptosis, and autophagy; the abundance, speciation, and complexity of miRNAs in different regions of the human brain and retina, and how they contribute to development, aging, and inflammatory neurodegeneration. My work was mainly focused on the genomics, epigenetic regulation, and progression of diseases like Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and age-related macular degeneration (AMD). My strong interests in inflammatory signaling in neurodegeneration and neuroprotection by novel endogenous lipid mediators, which are essential for homeostatic regulation, has given me the unique opportunity to collaborate and participate actively in numerous such projects in Dr. Nicolas G. Bazan’s laboratory at the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, USA. During my Post-Doctoral research, we identified and described – Elovanoids (ELVs), a novel class of homeostatic lipid mediators that protect neural cell integrity during injury and are critical to neuroprotective signaling. Our current research has shown that ELVs act as ‘molecular guardians’ and help in altering cellular senescent reprogramming and protecting telomerase activity.

For the last three years of my post-doctoral research, I have also been studying in great detail the analgesic and antipyretic properties of several novel non-narcotic analogs of acetaminophen that are new chemical entities. I have screened and evaluated these drugs for their hepatotoxicity, along with their analgesic and antipyretic properties. I’m highly skilled with in vivo analgesia assays and have extensively used several such analgesic assays/behavioral tests like tail-flick assay, abdominal writhing assay, von Frey assay, Hargreaves assay, and the mechanical conflict-avoidance task using small laboratory rodents – mice and rats. During this period, I’ve also worked very closely with cell toxicity screens, liver function tests, and potential drug-drug interaction (DDI) using cytochrome P450 isozyme assays. I am very experienced in performing neurotoxicity screening assays using multielectrode array (MEA) systems studying extracellular action potentials spontaneously and the activity of neurons under stimulation by any drugs.

I have co-authored more than 32 peer-reviewed papers in high-impact journals. I have more than 2000 citations with an h-index score of 23 and an i10-index score of 28 as per Google Scholar and Elsevier Scopus. I’m the first author of the paper in Science Advances describing the discovery of ELVs and the joint equally contributing first author with Dr. Hernan Bazan in the European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry paper describing a novel pipeline of acetaminophen analogs that lack hepatotoxicity and retain antipyresis.

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Committees & Administrative Responsibilities

Affiliations/Memberships:

2010–2014, 2020–Present  —  Society for Neuroscience (SFN)

2010–2012, 2017–Present  —  The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO)

2010–Present  —  Greater New Orleans Society for Neuroscience (GNOSN)

Community Service Activities:

2010–2014, 2016–Present  —  Mentor, LSUHSC Undergraduate Program/Summer Undergraduate Neuroscience (SUN) Program

2010–2012  —  Volunteer, LSUHSC New Orleans School Science Partnership/Outreach Program, Forensic Genetics and Molecular Biology Demonstration

2009–2012  —  Mentor, Patrick F. Taylor Science and Technology Academy/LSUHSC Science Partnership Program