Staff Profile

Educational Qualification

MBBS, DLO, MPH

Personal Statement

I have been involved in clinical research for more than 16 years, in areas including HIV prevention and management, PPTCT and TB prevention and treatment. Key clinical trials involved were TBM kids trial, modified BPaL trial and INSHORT TBM trial. Key implementation research project completed was to strengthen the airborne infection control practices in primary care centres. I was commissioned as a WHO external consultant to evaluate the National Leprosy Programme of Srilanka in 2013. I have served as a State NLEP consultant between 2013 and 2014. Prior to ICMR-NIRT, I had been working in premier Institutes such as Govt. Hospital of Thoracic medicine, in the HIV OPD (HOPE foundation), YRG care and German Leprosy and Tuberculosis Relief Association.

Research Focus

• Randomized clinical trials for shortening TB treatment for drug resistant and drug sensitive pulmonary tuberculosis

• Intensified shorter regimen of TB meningitis

• Improving airborne infection control practices in health care and household settings

• ATT induced ocular toxicities and its prevention

• TB and pregnancy

Ongoing projects as Principal investigator

• Co-principal investigator “An integrated psycho-social intervention to improve self- efficacy towards treatment uptake and infection prevention among patients and family caregivers – A multi- centric implementation research study”
• Co-Principal investigator in “Intensified short course (6 months) regimen Vs standard (9 -12-months) regimen in reducing mortality and disability in adults with TB Meningitis (TBM): an open-label randomized controlled trial.”

Significant Publications

• Daniel BD, Shanmugam S, Mehta R, et al. Long term outcomes in drug resistant tuberculosis with Bedaquiline, Pretomanid and varying doses of Linezolid. Journal of Infection. 2025 May 15:106509.

• Chandrasekaran Padmapriyadarsini, Vikas S Oswal, Chetankumar D Jain, Muthu Vijayalakshmi M, Neeta Singla, Santosh Kumar, Bella Devaleenal Daniel, et al. Effectiveness and Safety of Varying Doses of Linezolid With Bedaquiline and Pretomanid in Treatment of Drug-Resistant Pulmonary Tuberculosis: Open-Label, Randomized Clinical Trial, Clinical Infectious Diseases, Volume 79, Issue 6, 15 December 2024, Pages 1375–1385.

• Inbaraj LR, Sathya Narayanan MK, Daniel J, Srinivasalu VA, Bhaskar A, Daniel BD, et al. Low-complexity manual nucleic acid amplification tests for pulmonary tuberculosis in children. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2025 Jun 25;6(6):CD015806.

• Paradkar MS, Devaleenal DB, Mvalo T et al. Randomized Clinical Trial of High Dose Rifampicin with or without Levofloxacin versus Standard of Care for Paediatric Tuberculous Meningitis: The TBM-KIDS Trial. Clinical Infectious Diseases. 2022 Mar 15.

• Devaleenal DB, Jeyapal L, Thiruvengadam K, et al. Holistic Approach to Enhance Airborne Infection Control Practices in Health Care Facilities Involved in the Management of Tuberculosis in a Metropolitan City in India–An Implementation Research. WHO South-East Asia Journal of Public Health. 2023 Jan 1;12(1):38-44.

Research Profiles