Microbiologist at EDCD, Nepal
Working at the intersection of infectious disease, diagnostics and public health — from antimicrobial resistance in the lab to malaria surveillance across all seven provinces of Nepal.
Areas of focus
Three questions shape the work — why pathogens stop responding to treatment, how infections behave in immunocompromised patients, and how a country builds diagnostic capacity it can trust.
Detecting and characterising resistance mechanisms — including sul1 and dfrA1 genes — and tracing how prophylactic regimens shape resistance patterns in the populations that depend on them.
Master's research on bacteria isolated from HIV-positive patients, examining the link between Cotrimoxazole Preventive Therapy and emerging bacterial resistance.
Malaria surveillance, microscopy quality assurance and localisation of WHO frameworks such as integrated Drug Efficacy Surveillance (iDES) for Nepal's elimination programme.
About
Quality assurance in diagnostics isn't about passing an assessment — it's about the lives that depend on getting the diagnosis right.
I started out curious about why certain bacteria resist treatment and how that shapes patient outcomes. That single question has guided my research, my clinical work, and the public health role I'm in today.
My training runs from bench to bedside. At Sukraraj Tropical and Infectious Diseases Hospital I worked hands-on across microbiology, hematology, serology, parasitology and virology — a year that permanently changed how I think about lab work, because I could see exactly how a result travelled to a patient.
At Om Surgical Concern I moved to the other side of the bench, supporting and training clinical laboratories across Nepal on in-vitro diagnostic instruments. Today, at the Epidemiology and Disease Control Division, I work on the Global Fund-supported Malaria Program — surveillance, laboratory quality management, SOP development and diagnostic capacity building.
I'm drawn to AMR, HIV-associated infections and vector-borne diseases, especially in settings where diagnostic capacity is still growing. My goal is to keep building skills and contributing to work that makes a practical difference in how these diseases are detected and managed.
Experience
Dec 2025 — Present
Epidemiology and Disease Control Division (EDCD), Teku, Kathmandu Full-time
Working on the Global Fund-funded Malaria Program. Responsibilities span malaria surveillance, laboratory quality management, SOP development and diagnostic capacity building — supporting Nepal's national path toward malaria elimination.
Jun 2024 — Dec 2025
Om Surgical Concern Pvt. Ltd., Kathmandu Full-time
Provided technical support and training for in-vitro diagnostic instruments across clinical laboratories in Nepal. Represented the company as a speaker at a Continuing Medical Education seminar, introducing novel diagnostic parameters on the Boditech AFIAS-1 analyzer to healthcare professionals.
Sep 2021 — Aug 2022
Sukraraj Tropical and Infectious Diseases Hospital, Teku, Kathmandu Internship
Hands-on clinical diagnostics across microbiology, hematology, serology, parasitology and virology. A year that deepened my understanding of how laboratory work directly supports patient care.
Research
Two theses, both asking how resistant organisms move through populations that are least equipped to fight them.
Master's thesis · Mar – Dec 2022
Investigated AMR patterns in bacterial isolates from HIV-positive patients, detecting sul1 and dfrA1 resistance genes using E-test and PCR. The study examined the relationship between Cotrimoxazole Preventive Therapy and the emergence of bacterial resistance.
Bachelor's thesis · Feb – May 2018
Examined nasal carriage of multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus among school children in Kathmandu, characterising community-level reservoirs of drug-resistant organisms outside the hospital setting.
Expertise
Education
Central Department of Microbiology, Tribhuvan University
Advanced microbiology techniques, pathogen-host interactions and antimicrobial resistance mechanisms, with a research focus on AMR in HIV-positive patients.
Padma Kanya Multiple Campus
Foundation in general and applied microbiology, with a final-year research project on drug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in community settings.
Field notes
Recent work in malaria surveillance, diagnostic quality assurance and medical education — shared as it happened.
Asar 2083 · VBDRTC, Hetauda
Helped organise a WHO-standard proficiency evaluation for malaria microscopists from all seven provinces of Nepal, under EDCD. Four microscopists secured Level 1 and four secured Level 2 competency — alongside external WHO facilitator Dr. Kumudu Gunasekera.
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National consultative meeting
Data-driven surveillance is the cornerstone of disease elimination. Contributed to a national consultation on strengthening surveillance protocols — work that shortens the distance between detection and response.
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WHO framework localisation
Translating global standards into local public health action — adapting the WHO-recommended iDES framework to Nepal's context, a vital step for robust diagnostics and the national path to malaria elimination.
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May 2024 · Medical College & Teaching Hospital
Presented novel diagnostic parameters on the Boditech AFIAS-1 analyzer to an audience of clinicians and laboratory professionals, representing Om Surgical Concern Pvt. Ltd.
Read the post on LinkedInContact
Open to research collaboration, laboratory quality and capacity-building projects, and conversations with anyone working on infectious disease in resource-limited settings.