Dr. Kalita is currently working as an Additional Professor of Microbiology at AIIMS Rishikesh (since July 2020) and Principal Investigator cum In-charge of State Level Viral Research and Disease Laboratory at Rishikesh (for the State of Uttarakhand), India. Before this, he was an Associate Professor at AIIMS Rishikesh. He worked as Associate Professor & Assistant Professor under Govt. of Assam. His current responsibilities include teaching/guiding undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral students in Microbiology, Virology, evidence-based medicine, infection control, quality assurance, Research in infectious disease/Microbiology, Patient care (laboratory diagnosis/infection control), etc. His main research areas are virology, autoimmune diseases, next-generation sequencing, quality assurance, infection control etc. His other areas of interest include lab accreditation, medical education, religious studies, etc. Dr. Kalita receives research grants from multiple agencies, such as ICMR, DBT, DHR, AIIMS, etc. Currently, two MD students and one PhD scholar are working under the direct supervision (Principal supervisor) of Dr Kalita.
Dr. Kalita's impact on microbiology extends beyond his academic and research roles. He is a visiting scientist at KK lab, Guwahati Biotech Park, IIT-Guwahati, where he is involved in Research on Mycobacterial TB dormancy and CD271 cells (Mesenchymal Stem cells). His initiative and leadership are evident in the establishment of the autoimmune lab at AIIMS Rishikesh in 2016, which is now a well-equipped, fully functional 24x7 lab. Dr Kalita's commitment to public health is further demonstrated in his role as the in-charge of virology/ COVID-19 at AIIMS Rishikesh, where more than 3 lakh COVID tests (RT PCR) have been performed in one and a half years (so far). His ability to establish and manage state-of-the-art research facilities is a testament to his dedication to advancing the field of microbiology.
Dr Kalita is involved in multiple collaborative research projects and projects as a PI/Co-PI. He has over 60 research articles on infectious diseases published in national and international indexed journals.
Dr. Kalita's commitment to the medical community is evident from his active involvement as a life member of various medical associations. He is a member of the Indian Medical Association, Indian Association of Medical Microbiology, Indian Virology Society, Indian Immunology Society, American Society for Microbiology, European Society for Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Disease (ESCMID), Infectious Disease Society of America (IDSA), among others. His membership in these esteemed associations reflects his dedication to the advancement of medical science and his continuous engagement with the latest developments in the field.
Earlier, Dr Kalita acted as a founding member and treasurer of the North East Clinical Excellence Forum/NECEF (https://clinicalexcellence.in/) before leaving North East India to join the job AIIMS Rishikesh.