Dr. Sadhna Joshi is a molecular virologist with over 45 years of research experience. She has a stellar academic record and an unrelenting dedicationto excellence. She is also recognized for her commitment to promoting Indian culture and literature, as well as for her contributions to the Indo- Canadian community.
Family background:
Dr. Joshi is inspired by her paternal grandfather, the late Mahamahopadhyay Professor Ram Pratap Shastri, the Head of the Dept. of Sanskrit, Pali, and Prakrit at the University of Nagpur. Her parents, the late Dr. Vraj Raj Joshi and Dr. Saraswati Joshi (Chevalier, dans l’Ordre des Palmes Académiques, Govt. de France), were Maître de Conférences at Institut National des Langues et Civilizations Orientales (INALCO, Paris, France), where they taught Hindi as a foreign language. In addition, her father taught Indian economics at INALCO and SciencesPo (formerly École Libre des Sciences Politiques), and her mother taught Indian culture at the Dept. of Indian civilization.
Her brother, Dr. Rajiv L. Joshi, D.Sc. (Thèse d’État), is a Director of Research at the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), conducting research in neuroscience at the Collège de France in Paris. In 1979, Dr. Joshi married Dr. Ram N. Sukhwal, who obtained an M.Eng. from India, a Docteur – Ingénieur from the University of Paris VI, and a P.Eng. from Canada. Unfortunately, he passed away in 2011. They have one son, Raman Sukhwal.
Education:
After completing higher secondary education while living with her maternal grandparents in Udaipur, Dr. Joshi joined her parents in Paris, France, in July 1972. She quickly learned French during the summer and joined the University in September. Dr. Joshi completed her B.Sc., an M.Sc. with mention très bien, and obtained both her Ph.D. and D.Sc. (Thèse d’État) on plant RNA viruses’ structure, function, and life cycle with mention très honorable avec félicitations du jury from the Institut Jacques Monod, Université Paris VII. She was also a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Leiden, The Netherlands, for two years. She received several fellowships and awards from Fondation pour la Recherche Médicale Française, the European Molecular Biology Organization Long-term Postdoctoral fellowship, International Cell Research Organization (UNESCO), and Délégation Générale à la Recherche Scientifique et Technique. Academic career: Allelix Inc., a biotechnology company in Mississauga, Ontario, sponsored her to come to Canada as a Research Scientist in 1983. She then became a Senior Research Scientist and Principal Investigator in AIDS and Immune Regulation and coordinated the expression of soluble/secreted CD4 protein (receptor of human immunodeficiency virus, HIV) for clinical trials and drug design to treat AIDS patients. In parallel, she was the first to conceive the idea and begin research on HIV gene therapy, whereby patients’ hematopoietic stem cells, which give rise to the HIV target cells or other cells (e.g., muscle cells), would be genetically modified for continuous production of antivirals. Gene therapy is particularly important as a single gene delivery procedure could ideally provide a lifetime treatment. This project was given high priority and was funded by a special committee set up by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).
In 1988, Dr. Joshi joined the Dept. of Microbiology/Molecular Genetics at the University of Toronto as an Associate Professor and Director of the HIV Research Laboratory. In 1991, she was tenured, was cross-appointed in the Dept. of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, and became a full member of the School of Graduate Studies. Since 2020, Dr. Joshi has been a fellow of the Senior College, Professor Emerita at the University of Toronto, and Chief Scientific Officer of the Division of Biologics at Biolyse Pharma. With over $3,000,000 in funding from CIHR, the Canadian Foundation for AIDS Research, the National Health and Research Development Program, and the University, her research focused on developing genetic strategies for HIV treatment and prevention. It led to several patents and hundreds of publications in top peer-reviewed journals and presentations at national and international conferences. In addition to undergraduate courses, Dr. Joshi supervised numerous M.Sc., Ph.D., and M.D. students, many of whom hold important positions.
For treatment, various gene therapy strategies developed in her laboratory include sense and decoy RNAs, antisense RNAs, multimeric ribozymes, mobile group II introns, trans-dominant negative mutants, targeted RNases, single-chain antibodies, and secreted antiviral proteins. Many of these strategies were original and highly effective at inhibiting HIV infection and spread. A “humanized” mouse model was also established to test HIV gene therapy strategies in vivo. For prevention, antiviral proteins were optimized for secretion from strains of Lactobacillus that colonize the vagina and gastrointestinal tract to develop microflora defense. As Lactobacillus makes yogurt, the engineered strains could be propagated at home and delivered orally, representing the most affordable, accessible, safe, and easy-to-use preventive measure to block HIV transmission.
Contributions to society and community involvement:
Dr. Joshi believes one could give back to society in many ways: teaching and educating; offering help and support; promoting language, culture, and traditional values; and remaining faithful to the countries of origin and residence. In addition to her exemplary and remarkable contributions to the Indo-Canadian community, she is recognized for her dedication and efforts in promoting Indian culture and literature through her poems and articles in Hindi and English.
Dr. Joshi is the Editor-in-Chief of the Annual Magazines published by RANA Canada since 2013. She was also the Editor-in-Chief of the souvenir book, Incredible Indo-Canadians, published by the National Alliance of Indo-Canadians in honor of the Indian Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi’s visit to Toronto in 2015. Dr. Joshi has been the President of the World Brahman Federation (WBF) Canada since 2018 and the Vice-President of Vishva Hindi Sansthan Canada since 2013. In addition to organizing several gatherings and helping the community, she helped arrange many Kavi Sammelan events and two International Hindi Literary Conferences.
Awards and recognitions: Dr. Joshi received the Professional Female of the Year 2013 Award from the Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce (ICCC) in Canada, and the 2013 Bharat Gaurav (Pride of India) Award from India International Friendship Society in India. In 2014, she received the Long Service Award from the President of the University of Toronto. In 2018, Dr. Joshi received the Achievement and Recognition Award from the Indian Canadian Organization and the Lifetime/Outstanding Achievement Award from ICCC. In 2018, she also received the Samaj Ratn Award from Srishya Shring Sansthan in India.
Moreover, she was twice awarded the Member of the Year Award from the Rajasthan Association of North America (RANA) Canada, in 2013 and 2022, respectively, and received the Distinguished Academician and Community Service Award from RANA USA in 2023. In recognition of her numerous contributions to research and community, her profile was published in a book, Jewels of India, featuring 75 Indo-Canadians, released in 2022 at the occasion of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav by the High Commissioner of India in Ottawa, Canada.