Hanna Luke Elizabeth

Dr. Hanna Luke Elizabeth has a Ph.D. Degree in Immunology with post-doctoral training in Molecular Virology. She has more than 25 years of research experience in the field of infectious diseases, particularly TB and HIV. She heads the Department of HIV/AIDS at the ICMR-National Institute for Research in Tuberculosis (NIRT) and is in charge of the Regional Reference Labs for molecular diagnosis of HIV infection for the National Early Infant Diagnosis Program and HIV-1 viral load testing for NACO, as well as the ICMR approved COVID testing facility at NIRT.

She is responsible for the establishment of the RePORT India Central Biorepository at NIRT and serves as the Director of the Central Biorepository. She is responsible for developing, implementing, maintaining and monitoring policies and procedures for the Biorepository, including quality, safety and traceability of biospecimens and related data, and ensuring compliance with institutional safety and IRB policies and requirement. She provides leadership and supervisory oversight for the Biorepository personnel and the day-to-day operations of the Biorepository. She maintains accurate and timely record of the activities of the Biorepository and samples collected, and provides information to appropriate institutional leaders, Chairs of the RePORT India Executive Committee and sponsors when required. She coordinates the release of stored specimens to investigators with approved protocols and required documentation.

She also manages the in-country External Quality Assurance Program for isolation and cryopreservation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells for the RePORT India sites and supports hands-on training in sample processing and storage.