AMRET Fellow 2026-27

Sreelakshmi V
Inaugural Prof Asha Mathur Research Fellow
PhD Scholar, NIMHANS, Bengaluru
(under the supervision of Prof Reeta Mani)

The proposed research aims to evaluate the performance and clinical applicability of PVNT for the detection of rabies virus neutralizing antibodies in comparison with the ‘gold standard’ RFFIT in CSF and serum samples from clinically suspected rabies cases.

This study aims to establish the feasibility and diagnostic utility of pseudovirus-based neutralization assays as a safer, scalable alternative to Rapid Fluorescent Focus Inhibition Test for detecting rabies virus neutralizing antibodies (RVNA). By evaluating both cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum samples from clinically suspected rabies cases, it seeks to generate evidence for the role of RVNA detection in antemortem diagnosis. The study is also expected to define assay performance in real-world settings, contributing to the development of standardized, high-throughput diagnostic approaches and improved patient management and public health response.