Overview
Background
Dibesh Karmacharya has a Conservation Biology degree from Wayne State College, USA and a PhD on Conservation and Microbiome Genetics from Griffith University, Australia. He worked extensively in the US for Caliper Lifesciences in New Jersey as a research scientist (transgenic animal models). He promoted Genomics and Proteomics technology platforms for GE Healthcare Lifesciences in the US and Canada. He founded the Center for Molecular Dynamics Nepal (CMDN), a wildlife genetics and clinical epidemiology research center and is the Chairman and Executive Director of the Organization. He also founded Intrepid Nepal Pvt. Ltd.-a molecular diagnostics-based Biotechnology Company, and Intrepid Cancer Diagnostics-a leading cancer diagnostic laboratory. He leads several innovative researches in Nepal including building Nepal’s first genetic database of wild tigers through Nepal Tiger Genome Project. He was the Principal Investigator of PREDICT Nepal project-an emerging pandemic threat project. He also founded BIOVAC Nepal Pvt. Ltd. - a vaccine research, development and manufacturing company. He is Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Regional Project Coordinator of Pandemic Prevention Leadership Initiative (PPLI). He specializes in One Health and Conservation Genetics.
Availability
- Dr Dibesh Karmacharya is:
- Available for supervision
Fields of research
Research interests
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Conservation genetics and One Health disease dynamics
population genetics, microbiome genetics, disease dynamics, One health research, vaccine research and development, genomics
Research impacts
Nepal Tiger Genome Project: The Nepal Tiger Genome Project (NTGP), a two year (June 2011- 2013) research project to build genetic database of wild Bengal tigers of Nepal. NTGP is a collaborative effort of the Center for Molecular Dynamics Nepal, the Nepal Government’s Ministry of Forest and Soil Conservation, the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation, the University of Idaho and Virginia Tech. The project used the latest genetic technology in Nepal for wildlife conservation and has built Nepal’s first geo-spatial genetic database of Bengal tigers from throughout the Terai Arc landscape.
Nepal Fish Biodiversity Project: Nepal Fish Biodiversity Project (2016-2019) worked on building fresh water fish genetic database by using novel environmental DNA (eDNA) based genomic tool. So far, working closely with US Forest Service, USAID and IFC (World Bank), we have built one of the largest fresh water fish genetic database in the Asian region, covering two major Himalayan rivers and their tributaries. The information gathered is providing valuable assessment for hydropower development.
PREDICT- Emerging Disease Research using One Health: We have been conducting Nepal’s longest running One Health virus surveillance program since 2012 called PREDICT Nepal. This project has systematically collected human and animal samples from both rural and urban wildlife interfaces to detect, track, and better understand the emergence of new zoonotic pathogens from wildlife and animals (livestock, poultry) that could pose a threat to human health. We conducted seasonal, concurrent sampling of animals and humans in rural and urban communities as well as year-round, hospital-based syndromic sampling in clinical patients of Nepal. Altogether, 26,217 samples were collected from 3,293 animals (bats, birds, rodents and nonhuman primates) and 2,048 humans during eight years of the project. These samples were screened for five viral families—paramyxo-, corona-, influenza-, filo-, and flaviviruses. Behavioral data collected in the clinical and community settings will help identify potential behavioral risk factors that contribute to virus spillover.
Works
Search Professor Dibesh Karmacharya’s works on UQ eSpace
2018
Journal Article
Species, sex and geo-location identification of seized tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) parts in Nepal - a molecular forensic approach
Karmacharya, Dibesh, Sherchan, Adarsh M., Dulal, Santosh, Manandhar, Prajwol, Manandhar, Sulochana, Joshi, Jyoti, Bhattarai, Susmita, Bhatta, Tarka R., Awasthi, Nagendra, Sharma, Ajay N., Bista, Manisha, Silwal, Nawa R., Pokharel, Pravin, Lamichhane, Rom R., Sharma, Netra, Llewellyn, Bronwyn, Wultsch, Claudia, Kelly, Marcella J., Gour, Digpal, Waite, Lisette, Hero, Jean-Marc and Hughes, Jane (2018). Species, sex and geo-location identification of seized tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) parts in Nepal - a molecular forensic approach. PLoS One, 13 (8), e0201639. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0201639
2018
Journal Article
Assessment of genetic diversity, population structure, and gene flow of tigers (Panthera tigris tigris) across Nepal's Terai Arc Landscape
Thapa, Kanchan, Manandhar, Sulochana, Bista, Manisha, Shakya, Jivan, Sah, Govind, Dhakal, Maheshwar, Sharma, Netra, Llewellyn, Bronwyn, Wultsch, Claudia, Waits, Lisette P., Kelly, Marcella J., Hero, Jean-Marc, Hughes, Jane and Karmacharya, Dibesh (2018). Assessment of genetic diversity, population structure, and gene flow of tigers (Panthera tigris tigris) across Nepal's Terai Arc Landscape. PLoS One, 13 (3), e0193495. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0193495
2017
Journal Article
Online surveillance of media health event reporting in Nepal: digital disease detection from a One Health perspective
Schwind, Jessica S., Norman, Stephanie A., Karmacharya, Dibesh, Wolking, David J., Dixit, Sameer M., Rajbhandari, Rajesh M., Mekaru, Sumiko R. and Brownstein, John S. (2017). Online surveillance of media health event reporting in Nepal: digital disease detection from a One Health perspective. BMC International Health and Human Rights, 17 (1) 26. doi: 10.1186/s12914-017-0134-2
2015
Journal Article
Surveillance of Influenza A Virus and Its Subtypes in Migratory Wild Birds of Nepal
Karmacharya, Dibesh, Manandhar, Sulochana, Sharma, Ajay, Bhatta, Tarka, Adhikari, Pratikshya, Sherchan, Adarsh Man, Shrestha, Bishwo, Bista, Manisha, Rajbhandari, Rajesh, Oberoi, Mohinder, Bisht, Khadak, Hero, Jean-Marc, Dissanayake, Ravi, Dhakal, Maheshwar, Hughes, Jane and Debnath, Nitish (2015). Surveillance of Influenza A Virus and Its Subtypes in Migratory Wild Birds of Nepal. PLoS One, 10 (7), e0133035. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0133035
2015
Journal Article
Optimization of a novel non-invasive oral sampling technique for zoonotic pathogen surveillance in nonhuman primates
Evans, Tierra Smiley, Barry, Peter A., Gilardi, Kirsten V., Goldstein, Tracey, Deere, Jesse D., Fike, Joseph, Yee, JoAnn, Ssebide, Benard J., Karmacharya, Dibesh, Cranfield, Michael R., Wolking, David, Smith, Brett, Mazet, Jonna A. K. and Johnson, Christine K. (2015). Optimization of a novel non-invasive oral sampling technique for zoonotic pathogen surveillance in nonhuman primates. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 9 (6). doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0003813
2011
Journal Article
Noninvasive genetic population survey of snow leopards (Panthera uncia) in Kangchenjunga conservation area, Shey Phoksundo National Park and surrounding buffer zones of Nepal
Karmacharya, Dibesh B., Thapa, Kamal, Shrestha, Rinjan, Dhakal, Maheshwar and Janecka, Jan E. (2011). Noninvasive genetic population survey of snow leopards (Panthera uncia) in Kangchenjunga conservation area, Shey Phoksundo National Park and surrounding buffer zones of Nepal. BMC Research Notes, 4 516. doi: 10.1186/1756-0500-4-516
Supervision
Availability
- Dr Dibesh Karmacharya is:
- Available for supervision
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