I am Dr Saibal Moitra an allergist and immunologist based in Kolkata, India. I am Adjunct Professor and Senior Consultant in the department of Allergy & Immunology at Apollo Gleneagles Hospital, Kolkata. I am also the Medical Director of Allergy Asthma Treatment Centre, Kolkata( now known as NCD Immunomedicare Pvt Ltd). I had completed my MBBS from Maulana Azad Medical College, University of Delhi with distinction in 1997. Thereafter I did my MD in Respiratory Medicine from Vallabhbhai Patel Chest Institute, University of Delhi in 2001. My further advanced training was at University of London, where I started my work in the field of respiratory allergy. I returned to India to join University of Calcutta and continued my work on allergy to tropical pollen grains at Cellular and Molecular Immunology Laboratory of Calcutta School of Tropical Medicine, Kolkata which resulted in obtaining a PhD in Physiology ( Immunology) from University of Calcutta. I developed an animal model of allergic airway disease to study the mechanisms of allergen immunotherapy for which I was awarded V Raju award by Indian College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, Delhi. Afterwards I joined Christian Medical College, Vellore to continue work in this specialty and I was awarded a diploma and Dr Harold Nelsen Silver Medal by Christian Medical College, Vellore and University of Colorado. Afterwards I became a Fellow of American College of Chest Physicians and Indian College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. I became part of the faculty of several allergy training programmes at reputed institutes of our country like Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Delhi, Christian Medical College, Vellore, Bharati Vidyapith, Pune etc. My continued work on treating thousands of allergy patients and also carrying out research and training activities in the field of Allergy and Immunology helped me to earn accolades within and outside my country. I have more than 50 articles in international peer reviewed journals and written chapters of several books. I received European Diploma in Adult Respiratory Medicine and became Member of American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology, European academy of allergy asthma and clinical Immunology, European Respiratory Society, American Thoracic Society, Indian Chest Society, Indian Aerobiological Society and National Academy of Medical Sciences(Delhi). I was the Principal Investigator and co-investigator of multiple governmental funded projects like DST, DBT, CSIR, NTRF. Currently I am involved in collaborative studies with researchers from University of Alberta, Canada; University of Manchester, University of Perugia, Italy; and other countries like New Zealand and USA. Our recent work on artificial light at night(ALAN) and its impact on adolescent health with respect to allergic diseases has opened up a new dimension in allergy and asthma chronobiology.
At the same time I also serve the marginalised section of our society and the poorest of the poor population of the urban and semi-urban areas of my state as a part of my social responsibility.
