Dr Shital Kumar Barman is an early-career researcher in the Reproductive and Family Health Research program at the Hunter Medical Research Institute and the University of Newcastle.

Dr Barman focuses on the molecular understanding of term and preterm labour/birth and investigates three-dimensional (3D) genome structures to understand human parturition. Complex interactions across genetic, epigenetic, inflammatory, and hormonal mechanisms impact these reproductive outcomes. By clarifying these processes at the molecular level, his research hopes to prevent and treat unfavourable pregnancy outcomes. He aims to elucidate regulatory networks in reproductive tissues that are specific to different cell types using high-throughput technologies such as RNA-seq, ChIP-seq, and Micro-C. He is also interested in developing nucleotide therapeutics for cancers.

He completed his PhD in October 2023 at Western Sydney University, with a focus on molecular understanding of zinc homeostasis in breast and prostate cancers. His PhD research was presented at conferences and published in peer-reviewed journals. He was awarded the Early Mid-Career Researcher (EMCR) Award 2024 for Collaborative Science, as well as competitive academic scholarships, including the Western Sydney University (WSU) Postgraduate Research Scholarship.