Visiting Scientist — Division of Systems Biology

Mallikarjun Bidarimath, DVM, Ph.D.
(870) 543-7121
NCTRResearch@fda.hhs.gov

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About  |  Publications

Background

Dr. Mallikarjun Bidarimath received a Veterinary Medicine degree from Bangalore Veterinary College, University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore, India. He then obtained a Master of Veterinary Science with Animal Physiology from the National Dairy Research Institute, Indian Council for Agricultural Research, Karnal, India with a thesis on the effect of oxytocin administration on mammary gland health. He then worked as a lecturer on contract at the Bangalore Veterinary College, India before working as a veterinarian for the Government of Karnataka, Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services, Bangalore, India. Dr. Bidarimath received a Master of Science (MSc) in Reproductive Biology from Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada with a thesis focused on the role of omega-3 fatty acids on the ovaries of lactating dairy cows. Subsequently, Dr. Bidarimath earned a Ph.D. from Queen’s University, Canada, in biomedical and molecular sciences, with a specialization in reproduction and developmental sciences. He worked on the immune-angiogenesis mechanisms of pregnancy with a special focus on the role of immune cells, micro ribonucleic acids (miRNAs), exosomes, cytokines and chemokines in pregnancy and pregnancy complications, funded by the National Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. Dr. Bidarimath then served as a course coordinator for the Annual Human Placenta workshop, a summer course offered by Queen’s University. Following his doctoral studies, he received specialized training in experimental and toxicological pathology while working as a postdoctoral research associate at the Cornell Stem Cell Program at Cornell University, which was funded by New York Stem Cell Science in the New York Department of Health. He investigated gynecological malignancies such as ovarian carcinoma with a special focus on cancer stem cells and their role in ovarian cancer pathogenesis. From 2020-2021, he received a diagnostic residency training in veterinary anatomic pathology at Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA. In April 2021, Dr. Bidarimath joined FDA’s National Center for Toxicological Research (NCTR) in the Division of Systems Biology as an Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education postdoctoral fellow to receive specialized training in in vitro and in vivo Biosafety Level 3 techniques at the Good laboratory practice-certified Regional Biocontainment Laboratory focusing on coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants of concern, COVID-19 animal models, and toxicological risk assessment of potential COVID-19 therapeutics. In December 2021, Dr. Bidarimath was converted to a visiting scientist to conduct COVID-19 animal studies to determine the potential long-term effects of infection with SARS-CoV-2.

Dr. Bidarimath actively participates in professional conferences and publishes research in peer reviewed journals. He has published more than 20 articles including primary articles, invited expert reviews, and two book chapters focusing on laser capture microdissection in investigations into mouse pregnancy and apoptosis and cancer. Dr. Bidarimath has received numerous awards during his professional training including “Outstanding New Investigator” awarded by the American Society for Reproductive Immunology. In addition, Dr. Bidarimath has provided significant professional service as an Associate Editor for multiple peer-reviewed journals in veterinary sciences and handled the peer review process of more than 55 submissions. He also served as a review editor for nearly 200 peer reviewed manuscript submissions in the biomedical sciences.

Research Interests

Dr. Bidarimath’s long-term goal is to understand how aberrations in molecular and cellular mechanisms governing pregnancy events may lead to pregnancy-associated disorders. Pregnancy is a delicate yet complex physiological process that requires fine-tuning of many factors to ensure the survival of the conceptus to term. A successful mammalian pregnancy depends upon the establishment and maintenance of an adequate maternal-fetal interface as well as maternal immune tolerance to the semi-allogenic fetus. After fertilization, a non-pregnant uterus must undergo transformation into a cellular and molecular environment suitable for development and growth of the fetus. These processes are likely facilitated by a coordinated interaction between two distinct yet opposed organ systems — the endometrium and the placenta. A precise interaction between these compartments must occur to facilitate most pregnancy specific mechanisms including, but not limited to, placental development, angiogenesis, immunomodulation, and organogenesis. Any disturbance in the maternal-fetal dialog can have detrimental effects on the developing fetus, the outcome of pregnancy, or even postnatal development. Many reproductive system diseases or dysfunctions have unknown etiologies, however, infectious, non-infectious, and environmental factors are likely contributors. To prevent or reduce the burden of diseases, Dr. Bidarimath’s research is directed at understanding the mechanisms and identifying key target molecules that impact development of reproductive diseases. The reproductive system is under constant exposure to environmental hazards and other infectious agents. To identify the agents and characterize their effects, Dr. Bidarimath uses a variety of pathological and toxicological techniques to test laboratory and clinical samples as well as use genetically engineered mice and other laboratory rodents, human cells, and transcriptomic analysis. 

Pregnant women have higher risk for a variety of infections, like the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). There has been growing concern over the long-term effect of SARS-CoV-2 in pregnant women, their newborns, and children. Recent studies indicate that SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy may directly cause or be associated with placental injury and malperfusion, miscarriage, preeclampsia, stillbirth, and/or preterm delivery with adverse perinatal outcomes. In addition, infants born with SARS-CoV-2 infections suggest that viral transmission can occur from infected mothers to the developing fetus, resulting in adverse events independent of maternal symptoms. Latent virus and post-COVID effects have been identified in vital organs such as lungs, brain, heart, and kidneys as well as reproductive organs. A distinct set of proteins required for virus entry into the host cells are highly expressed in maternal organs (uterus), maternal-fetal interface (e.g. placenta) and fetal tissues. Previous studies have suggested that SARS-CoV-2 infection before and/or after birth presents additional health risks to the mother as well as newborns. However, it remains to be investigated if the SARS-CoV-2 infection-related effects on newborns or on the fetus during pregnancy are because of illness in the mother or as a result of vertical transmission via maternal-fetal interface. The vertical transmission is of concern as there have been reports of multisystemic inflammatory syndrome in children after SARS-CoV-2 infection, which is characterized by inflammation of multiple organs including brain, heart, and kidneys. A variety of drugs, including the anti-viral drug Remdesivir, have been approved to treat COVID-19 patients. However, it is not clear if these drugs affect placental perfusion and related pregnancy specific functions. There are reports of COVID-related changes in the placenta that may perturb the normal perfusion, which in turn may affect the drug clearance as well as overall fetal growth. More detailed investigations are required to accurately characterize drug-related effects during pregnancy compromised by SARS-CoV-2 infection and post-natal development. Dr. Bidarimath’s research is focused on using a combination of pathological and toxicological approaches to evaluate potential effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection and therapeutic administration in COVID-19 animal models in adults, during pregnancy, and during development.

Professional Societies/National and International Groups

American College of Veterinary Pathologists
Trainee Member 
2020 – 2021

The New York Academy of Sciences
Postdoctoral Member 
2017 – 2019

Society of Toxicologic Pathology
Postdoctoral Member 
2017 – Present

Society of Toxicology
Postdoctoral Member
2019 – Present

Selected Publications

Insights Into Extracellular Vesicle/Exosome and miRNA Mediated Bi-Directional Communication During Porcine Pregnancy.
Bidarimath M., Lingegowda H., Miller J.E., Koti M., and Tayade C.
Front Vet Sci. 2021, 8:654064. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2021.654064. PMID: 33937376; PMCID: PMC8081834.

Cells Expressing PAX8 are the Main Source of Homeostatic Regeneration of Adult Mouse Endometrial Epithelium and Give Rise to Serous Endometrial Carcinoma.
Fu D.J., De Micheli A.J., Bidarimath M., Ellenson L.H., Cosgrove B.D., Flesken-Nikitin A., and Nikitin A.Y. 
Dis Model Mech. 2020, 13(10):dmm047035. doi: 10.1242/dmm.047035. PMID: 32998907; PMCID: PMC7648606.

WNT and Inflammatory Signaling Distinguish Human Fallopian Tube Epithelial Cell Populations.
Rose I.M., Bidarimath M., Webster A., Godwin A.K., Flesken-Nikitin A., and Nikitin A.Y.
Sci Rep. 2020, 10(1):9837. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-66556-y. PMID: 32555344; PMCID: PMC7300082.

A Balancing Act: RNA Binding Protein HuR/TTP Axis in Endometriosis Patients.
Khalaj K., Ahn S.H., Bidarimath M., Nasirzadeh Y., Singh S.S., Fazleabas A.T., Young S.L., Lessey B.A., Koti M., and Tayade C.
Sci Rep. 2017, 7(1):5883. doi: 10.1038/s41598-017-06081-7. PMID: 28724967; PMCID: PMC5517625.

Pregnancy and Spontaneous Fetal Loss: A Pig Perspective.
Bidarimath M. and Tayade C.
Mol Reprod Dev. 2017, 84(9):856-869. doi: 10.1002/mrd.22847. Epub 2017 Jun 29. PMID: 28661560.

Extracellular Vesicle Mediated Intercellular Communication at the Porcine Maternal-Fetal Interface: A New Paradigm for Conceptus-Endometrial Cross-Talk.
Bidarimath M., Khalaj K., Kridli R.T., Kan F.W., Koti M., and Tayade C.
Sci Rep. 2017, 7:40476. doi: 10.1038/srep40476. PMID: 28079186; PMCID: PMC5228034.

Altered Expression of Chemokines and their Receptors at Porcine Maternal-Fetal Interface During Early and Mid-Gestational Fetal Loss.
Bidarimath M., Khalaj K., Kridli R.T., Wessels J.M., Koti M., and Tayade C. 
Cell Tissue Res. 2016, 366(3):747-761. doi: 10.1007/s00441-016-2470-2. Epub 2016 Aug 8. PMID: 27503377.

A Distinct Pre-Existing Inflammatory Tumour Microenvironment is Associated with Chemotherapy Resistance in High-Grade Serous Epithelial Ovarian Cancer.
Koti M., Siu A., Clément I., Bidarimath M., Turashvili G., Edwards A., Rahimi K., Mes-Masson A.M., and Squire J.A. 
Br J Cancer. 2015, 112(7):1215-22. doi: 10.1038/bjc.2015.81. Erratum in: Br J Cancer. 2015 Dec 22;113(12):1746. Masson, A-M M [corrected to Mes-Masson, A-M]. PMID: 25826225; PMCID: PMC4385963.

Placental Growth Factor Deficiency is Associated with Impaired Cerebral Vascular Development in Mice.
Luna R.L., Kay V.R., Rätsep M.T., Khalaj K., Bidarimath M., Peterson N., Carmeliet P., Jin A., and Croy B.A.
Mol Hum Reprod. 2016, 22(2):130-42. doi: 10.1093/molehr/gav069. Epub 2015 Dec 7. PMID: 26646502; PMCID: PMC4733225.

Placentation, Maternal-Fetal Interface, and Conceptus Loss in Swine.
Kridli R.T., Khalaj K., Bidarimath M., and Tayade C.
Theriogenology. 2016, 85(1):135-44. doi: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2015.08.001. Epub 2015 Aug 7. PMID: 26324112.

Distinct microRNA Expression in Endometrial Lymphocytes, Endometrium, and Trophoblast During Spontaneous Porcine Fetal Loss.
Bidarimath M., Edwards A.K., Wessels J.M., Khalaj K., Kridli R.T., and Tayade C. 
J Reprod Immunol. 2015, 107:64-79. doi: 10.1016/j.jri.2014.11.004. Epub 2014 Dec 25. PMID: 25596873.

mRNA Destabilizing Factors: Tristetraprolin Expression at the Porcine Maternal-Fetal Interface.
Khalaj K., Wessels J.M., Kridli R.T., Bidarimath M., LaMarre J., and Tayade C. 
Am J Reprod Immunol. 2015, 73(5):402-16. doi: 10.1111/aji.12347. Epub 2014 Dec 11. PMID: 25496016.

Laser Capture Microdissection for Gene Expression Analysis.
Bidarimath M., Edwards A.K., and Tayade C.
Methods Mol Biol. 2015, 1219:115-37. doi: 10.1007/978-1-4939-1661-0_10. PMID: 25308266.

MicroRNAs, Immune Cells and Pregnancy.
Bidarimath M., Khalaj K., Wessels J.M., and Tayade C.
Cell Mol Immunol. 2014, 11(6):538-47. doi: 10.1038/cmi.2014.45. Epub 2014 Jun 23. PMID: 24954225; PMCID: PMC4220836.

Are Pharmacological Interventions Between Conception and Birth Effective in Improving Reproductive Outcomes in North American Swine?
Wessels J.M., Khalaj K., Kridli R.T., Edwards A.K., Bidarimath M., and Tayade C.
Reprod Domest Anim. 2014, 49(4):536-542. doi: 10.1111/rda.12347. Epub 2014 Jun 19. PMID: 24941906.

The microRNAome of Pregnancy: Deciphering miRNA Networks at the Maternal-Fetal Interface.
Wessels J.M., Edwards A.K., Khalaj K., Kridli R.T., Bidarimath M., and Tayade C.
PLoS One. 2013, 8(11):e72264. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0072264. PMID: 24278102; PMCID: PMC3838410.

Studies on Cisternal and Alveolar Fractions & its Composition and Mammary Health of Murrah Buffaloes Administered Oxytocin.
Bidarimath M. and Aggarwal A. 
Trop Anim Health Prod. 2007, 39(6):433-8. doi: 10.1007/s11250-007-9042-0. PMID: 17966274.

“Laser Capture Microdissection.”
In The Guide to Investigation of Mouse Pregnancy, Edited by Croy B.Aa, Yamada A.T., deMayo F.J., and Adamson S.L.
Tayade C., Edwards A.K., and Bidarimath M.
London, UK: Academic Press (Elsevier). 2014, 567‐575.