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Faculty Member - Dr. Sunil Dhungel

Sunil Dhungel

Professor
Qualifications: PhD
School/Division: Anatomical Sciences
Courses: Neuroscience and Neurology, HHP

Dr. Sunil Dhungel completed his master’s degree in human physiology from the B.P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Dharan, Nepal, in 2002. His doctorate degree in neuroscience was from Nippon Medical School, Tokyo, Japan. He is a neuroscientist and professor of neuroscience and physiology.

Dr. Dhungel was adjunct faculty at Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore, India, and was recently working at NAIHS (Nepal Army Institute of Health Sciences), Kathmandu, Nepal. He was chairman of the IRC (Institutional Review Committee) of NAIHS. Dr. Dhungel possesses more than twenty years of teaching experience in medical universities in Nepal, China, Japan, India, and the West Indies, as well as one and a half decades of research experience. He is the founder president of the Neuroscience Society of Nepal and a council member of IBRO (International Brain Research Organization) and FAONS.

Dr. Dhungel presented several guest lectures at various IBRO schools and research work at various international conferences of physiology, neuroscience, and neuroendocrinology held in Japan, China, the USA, Malaysia, Germany, Italy, France, India, and Pakistan. Several national and international awards have honored him, including “Nepal Bidhya Bhushan K. was the first president of Nepal. He has published more than 35 peer-reviewed papers in leading scientific journals, including Neuroscience, Neuroscience Research, Annals of Neuroscience, Hormones and Behavior, Experimental Physiology, etc. He is also credited with more than 75 presentations in different international forums in Japan, the USA, Malaysia, China, Italy, France, India, and Germany.

Dr. Dhungel serves as an editor, advisor to several national and international journals, and reviewer of the neuroscience curriculum as well. His current research work is focused on a better understanding of the role of steroid hormone and oxytocin hormone in neurodegenerative disease and high-altitude physiology.

Qualifications:

  • MS, Human Physiology from BPKIHS, Nepal
  • Pre doctoral fellowship, Neuroendocrinology from Nippon Medical School, Tokyo, Japan
  • PhD, Neuroscience from Nippon Medical School, Tokyo, Japan

  • Behavioral neuroendocrinology
  • High altitude Physiology
  • Teaching Neurophysiology/ Neuroscience
  •  Electrodiagnostic tools for human and research animal
  • Journal, research proposal / curriculum editorship

  • Outstanding Performance Excellence Award, 18th Nippon Medical School Research Conference for Foreign Researchers (2007), Tokyo, Japan   
  • Best Presentation Award, 2nd school of Neuroendocrinology (2009), Yufuin, Japan
  • Japan Student Services Organization (JASSO) Scholarship (2008-2009) “Honors Scholarship for privately Financed International Students”
  • Trainer, US Department of Justice, International criminal Investigative Training Assistance program (ICITAP) for Nepal Police on “Physiological aspect of polygraph (Lie Detector), organized by American Embassy Nepal at Nepal Police Academy, Kathmandu, Nepal.
  • Founder and Immediate past president, Neuroscience Society of Nepal (NSN)
  • International Brain Research organization (IBRO) school-grant receiver (2015, 2018, 2021, 2023)
  • University Grant Commission (UGC, Nepal) grant for International Conference and Symposium for Nepal Japan Neurosymposium-2017 May and 2nd Annual Meeting of Neuroscience Society of Nepal

  • Conferences and Intl meetings
    • S Dhungel, R Sinha, M Sinha, MB Mandal, N Bhattacharya. Nociceptive Response in Diet Induced Obese rabbit. Poster presentation on 4th Prof. Baldev singh Symposium on “Pain: New Dimension”, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India, 9th Feb 2002.
    • Sunil Dhungel, Susumu Urakawa, Yasuhiko Kondo and Yasuo Sakuma. Differential Roles of the Medial Amygdala and Preoptic Area in the Control of Conspecific Odor Preference in Male Rats. 84th Annual meeting of Physiological Society of Japan, Osaka, Japan, March 20th – 22nd March 2007.
    • Sunil Dhungel, Susumu Urakawa, Yasuhiko Kondo and Yasuo Sakuma. Medial amygdala and preoptic area regulate conspecific odor preference in male rats. Society for Behavioral Neuroendocrinology (SBN, www.sbn.org ) Annual Meeting, Asilomar, Pacific Grove, California, USA, June 21st -24th 2007.
    • Sunil Dhungel, Susumu Urakawa, Yasuhiko Kondo and Yasuo Sakuma. Functionaldiversity of the medial amygdala and the preoptic area in controlling sexual preference and behavior of male rats. 67th Annual meeting of Japanese Society of Animal Psychology (JSAP), Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan 7th – 8th October 2007.
    • Sunil Dhungel, Yasuhiko Kondo and Yasuo Sakuma. Conspecific olfactory preferences of male rats carrying lesions of the medial amygdala or the preoptic area. US/Japan Neurosteroid symposium 2008 Nagaragawa Convention Center, Gifu, Japan, September 8th- 11th 2008.
    • Sunil Dhungel, Susumu Urakawa, Yasuhiko Kondo and Yasuo Sakuma. Functional differences of medial amygdala and   medial preoptic area in the regulation of conspecific odor preferences. Japan/China Symposium 2008. Strategies to Reduce Risks on the Brain Development Contingent to Urbanization, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan October 23rd – 25th 2008.
    • S Dhungel, S Urakawa, Y Kondo and Y Sakuma. Olfactory preference of male rats after destruction of the medial amygdala or the medial preoptic area. XXXVI International Congress of Physiological Sciences (IUPS) 2009 Kyoto, Japan July 27th-1st August 2009.
    • Sunil Dhungel, Yasuhiko Kondo, Mio Masaoka and Yasuo Sakuma. The medial preoptic area, but not the vomeronasal pathway, is essential for olfactory preference in male rats. Society for Neuroscience (SFN) Annual meeting 2009, Chicago, USA October 17th-21st 2009.
    • Sunil Dhungel, Y Kondo and Y Sakuma. Overlapping in the pathway of olfactory epithelial and vomeronasal inputs in the rat nervous system. The 87th Annual Meeting of the Physiological Society of Japan, Morioka, Japan May 19th-21st 2010.
    • Sunil Dhungel, Y Kondo and Y Sakuma. Convergence of olfactory signals regulating sexual preference on the preoptic area of male rats. 7th International Congress of Neuroendocrinology (ICN2010), Rouen, France, July 10th – 15th 2010.
    • Sunil Dhungel, Dilip Rai, Katsuhiko Nishimori, Y kondo, Yasuo Sakuma. Oxytocin regulates olfaction-related behavior during mating interaction in both male and female mice. The Joint Meeting of the 88th Annual Meeting of the Physiological Society of Japan & The 116th Annual Meeting of Japanese Association of Anatomists, Pacifico Yokohama Conference Center, Yokohama, Japan, March 28 (Mon)- 30 (Wed), 2011.
    • Dilip Rai, Sunil Dhungel, Katsuhiko Nishimori, Yasuhiko Kondo, Yasuo Sakuma. Oxytocin regulates social interaction antecedent to sexual behavior of male and female mice. 34th Annual Meeting of the Japan Neuroscience Society. Japan, September 2011.
    • Sunil Dhungel. Olfactory preference of male rats after destruction of vasopressin cells in anterior olfactory nucleus. Summer School of Neuroendocrinology, Prato, Italy, July 26-August 2nd 2013.
    • Sunil Dhungel, Dilip Rai, Nishimori Katsuhiko, Yasuo Sakuma, Kondo Yashuhiko. Oxytocin is essential for odor preference but differentially modulates the sexual behavior in male and female mice. 45th European Brain and Behavior Society Meeting (EBBS), Munich, Germany, September 6-9 2013.
  • Peer Reviewed Publications in last twenty years 
    • P Karki, N Baral, M Lamsal, S Rijal, BC Koner, S Dhungel S Koirala. Prevalence of Non-Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus in Urban areas of Eastern Nepal: A Hospital based study. Southeast Asian J Trop Med Public Health 2000 Mar; 31(1): 163-6. (Citation: 46, Impact Factor: 0.209)
    • N Baral, BC Koner, M Lamsal, I Niraula, S Dhungel. Thyroid function testing in Eastern Nepal and the Impact of CME on subsequent requests. Tropical Doctor 2001, 31:155-157. (Citation: 11, Impact Factor 0.6)
    • Kumar S, Paudel BH, Dhungel S, Khadka R. Effect of Cold Induced Pain and Mental Task on Breath Holding Time. Journal of Nepal Medical Association, 2001, 41: 262-265. (Impact factor: 0.55)
    • Nirmal Baral, Madhab Lamsal, Sunil Dhungel, Dinesh Puri. Hypoglycemic Effect of Aqueous Extract of Oxalis sensitive in Diabetic Rabbits. Nepal Medical College Journal 2002; 4(2): 78-80.
    • Sunil Dhungel, R Shinha, M Sinha, B H Paudel, N Bhattacharya and MB Mandal. High fat Diet Induces Obesity in British Angora Rabbit: A Model for Experimental Obesity. Indian J Physiol Pharmacol 2009, 53(1): 55-60. (Citation: 1, Impact factor: 0.118)
    • R Shinha, Sunil Dhungel, M Sinha, B H Paudel, N Bhattacharya and MB Mandal.  Obesity Attenuates Formalin-induced Tonic Pain in British Angora Rabbits. Indian J Physiol Pharmacol 2009, 53(1): 83-87. (Impact factor: 0.118)
    • Sunil Dhungel, Susumu Urakawa, Yasuhiko Kondo, Yasuo Sakuma. Olfactory preference in the male rat depends on multiple chemosensory inputs converging on the preoptic area. Hormon behav 2011, 59: 193-199. (Citation: 32, Impact factor: 3.64)
    • Sunil Dhungel, Mio Masaoka, Dilip Rai, Susumu Urakawa, Yasuhiko Kondo, Yasuo Sakuma. Both olfactory epithelial and vomeronasal inputs are essential for the activation of amygdyla and preoptic neurons of male rats. Neuroscience 2011, 199:225-234. (Citation: 41, Impact factor: 3.708)
    • Dilip Rai, Sunil Dhungel, Katsuhiko Nishimori, Yasuhiko Kondo, Yasuo Sakuma. Oxytocin regulates social interaction antecedent to sexual behavior of male and female mice. Neuroscience Research – NEUROSCI RES 01/2011; 71. DOI:10.1016/ j.neures.2011.07.1223.
    • Krishna Deo Sharma, Chandra Bhushan Jha, Prahlad Karki, Ajaya Jung Kunwar, Sunil Dhungel, Dhiraj Maskey. Cytogenetic Response of Imatinib Mesylate in Nepalese Chronic Myeloid   Leukemia Patients in Chronic Phase. International Journal of Therapeutic Applications 2014, 15:7-11.
    • Sunil Dhungel, Dilip Rai, Yasuhiko Kondo, Katsuhiko Nishimori, Yasuo Sakuma. Oxytocin modulates olfaction-related behavior and essential for onset of sexual behavior in both sexes of mice. DOI:10.1530/endoabs.32.P700.
    • Prakash Limbu, Barun Mahat, Bipin Kumar Shrestha, Bikalp Thapa, Mukesh Kumar Jha, Amrendra Jha, Ajaya Jang Kunwar, Tara Man Amatya, Sunil Dhungel. Report of Neuroscience Symposium and Workshop on SAAPCON-2016, Nepal. Annals of Neurosciences (DOI: 10.1159/000475901). (Impact factor: 1.29)
    • Dhan Bahadur Shrestha, Sunil Dhungel. Prevalence and Risk Factors of Hypertension in Hansposa VDC of Sunsari District, Nepal. MJSBH Vol 15 Issue 2 July-Dec 2016. (Citation: 2)
    • Barun Mahat, Prakash Limbu, Indrajit Banarjee, Sunil Dhungel, Pawan Kumar Lal Da s. Predilection of Teaching Aids Among Year 1 Medical Students at the Medical College of Mauritius. MJSBH Vol 16 Issue 1Jan-Jun 2017. (Citation: 4)
    • Jha Amrendra, Dhungel S and Takumi T. Role of selective 5- HT2c ligands on maternal separation induced ultrasonic vocalization and cfos expression in paternal duplicated mouse pups. Open Access J Trans Med Res. 2018; 2(2):73-76.
    • Sunil Dhungel, Dilip Rai, Yasuhiko Kondo, Katsuhiko Nishimori, Yasuo Sakuma. Oxytocin is indispensable for conspecific-odor preference and controls the initiation of female, but not male, sexual behavior in mice. Neurosci Res. 2019 Nov; 148:34-41. (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neures.2018.11.008) (Citation: 11, Impact factor: 2.90)
    • Sunil Dhungel, Dilip Rai, MisaoTereda, Chitose Orikasa, Katsuhiko Nishimori, Yasuo Sakuma Yashuhiko Kondo. Oxytocin regulates differentially in male and female mice conspecific olfactory preference behavior. IBRO Neuroscience Reports. Volume 6, Supplement, September 2019, Page S60.  Published on 01 Sep 2019. ( https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ibror.2019.07.197 ) (Impact factor: 1.92)
    • Barun Mahat, Lava Shrestha, Shailesh Adhikari, Bikalp Thapa, Prakesh Limbu, Dinesh Banstola, Sunil Dhungel. Blood Groups and their Association with Academic Performance among Medical Students in a Nepalese Medical College. JIOM Nepal. 2019 Dec; 41(3): 74-77. (Citation: 4)
    • Shavana Rajya Laxmi Rana, Bikalp Thapa, Lee Budhathoki, Yesha Shree Rajaure, Bipin Shrestha, Barun Mahat, Sunil Dhungel,Tara Man Amatya. Knowledge Regarding Blood Pressure Measurement among First and Second Year Undergraduate Medical Students: A Descriptive Cross-sectional Study. March 2022JNMA; Journal of the Nepal Medical Association 60(247):299-302 DOI: 10.31729/jnma.7413 (Impact factor: 0.55)
    • Oshan Shrestha, Sagun Karki, Niranjan Thapa, Kabindra Shrestha, Aayushama Shah, Pramita Dhakal, Prashant Pant, Sunil Dhungel, Dhan Shrestha. Prevalence of Migraine and Tension-type Headache among undergraduate medical students of Kathmandu Valley: A cross-sectional study. Health Science Reports. Accepted (July 19,2022) Article ID: HSR2747.Article DOI: 10.1002/hsr2.747.Internal Article ID: 17472495 (Citation: 3, Impact factor 1.95)
    • Sunil Dhungel, Barun Mahat, Prakash Limbu, Sandeep Thapa, Janak Raj Awasthi Sabin Thapaliya, Mukesh Kumar Jha Ajaya Jang Kunwar. Advantage of neuroeducation in managing mass psychogenic illness among rural school children in Nepal. IBRO Neuroscience Reports, Volume 14,2023, Pages 435-440, ISSN 2667-2421, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ibneur.2023.05.003  (Impact factor: 1.92)
    • Pontus Kristofer Holmstrom, Taylor S Harman, Anne Kalker, Bethany C Steiner, Ella Hawkins, Kelsey C Jorgensen, Kmberly T Zhu, Ajaya J Kunwar, Nilam Thakur, Sunil Dhungel, Nima Sherpa, Trevor A Day, Erika K A Schagatay, Abigail Bigham, and Tom D Brutsaert. Responses to Hyperoxia may Reflect Differential Splenic Functions between Sherpa and Lowlanders at High-altitude. Exp Physiol. 2024 Jan 5. doi: 10.1113/EP091579. Online ahead of print. PMID: 38180087
    • Ghosh S, Dhungel S, Shaikh MF, Sinha JK. Editorial: World digestive health day: investigating the link between neurodegenerative disease and gut microbiota. Front Aging Neurosci. 2024 Jan 3;15:1351855. doi: 10.3389/fnagi.2023.1351855. eCollection 2023.PMID: 38249716
    • Holmström PK, Harman TS, Kalker A, Steiner B, Hawkins E, Jorgensen KC, Zhu KT, Kunwar AJ, Thakur N, Dhungel S, Sherpa N, Day TA, Schagatay EK, Bigham AW, Brutsaert TD. Differential splenic responses to hyperoxic breathing at high altitude in Sherpa and lowlanders. Exp Physiol. 2024 Apr;109(4):535-548. doi: 10.1113/EP091579. Epub 2024 Jan 5. PMID: 38180087; PMCID: PMC10988702

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