Meet our Core Staff: Mantu Bhaumik, PhD

My interest in biology was invoked by my Biology teacher in Middle school. After graduating from Calcutta University, Dept. of Zoology I decided to enroll in a Ph.D. program and made parasite harboring host mouse model to study human disease known as Leishmaniasis or Kala-Azar. My first opportunity came to make gene manipulated and transgenic mouse model at Albert Einstein during my Post-doctoral studies. Later on I joined Memorial Sloan-Kettering mouse core to further my knowledge and training and then moved on to establish mouse core at Cancer Institute of NJ. I consider myself fortunate to witness steady improvement of transgenic technologies over three decades from simple transgenics to precise gene editing models.

I needed change and a new challenge to explore new avenues to implement my expertise. I came across an ad from IDDRC/Kirby Center/BCH, recruiting a manager for Gene Manipulation Core. During the recruitment process I met the recruiting team and Core Director Dr. C.J. Woolf – it was a pleasant and impressive experience to learn about the support and appreciation from everyone of mouse core but needed to bring in new techniques like gene editing. I was offered the position and I made the decision to join the mouse core as a manager in 2015 – rest is history.

I grew up watching orchids growing in the wild, high up in the trees, barely holding on the tree barks – thriving and blooming. Growing orchids became a hobby of mine for past 30 years.  Currently I have 15 different species of indoor orchids from different regions of the world. In general I enjoy gardening. In my spare time I prefer to read.