Biography
I am a neuroscientist with a multidisciplinary foundation and a career-long focus on the cellular and network-level mechanisms of neuroregeneration and disease. My research journey began in 2005 at the Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI, CSIR, India) in the Department of Fermentation Technology. While my initial work focused on optimizing lipase production in Aspergillus niger, the exposure to interdisciplinary research seminars at CFTRI sparked a deep interest in the complexities of the nervous system, motivating my strategic transition into neuroscience.
Building on this analytical foundation, I pursued a master's degree in molecular biology at the University of Skövde, Sweden. My thesis research at the Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research (Tübingen, Germany) investigated the role of NFATc4 in neural stem cell differentiation and proliferation. I further advanced this expertise during my doctoral research at the University of Rostock, Germany, where I characterized how Wnt3a induces neuronal differentiation via complex crosstalk between the Wnt/Ca2+ and Wnt/β-catenin pathways. These experiences established my core expertise in molecular and cellular neuroscience and the signaling pathways that govern neural fate.
During my tenure as a Postdoctoral Research Associate at Delaware State University, I executed a strategic transition into systems-level neuroscience, investigating the active role of astrocytes in modulating synchronized neuronal network activity. I worked with chicken embryonic neuronal cell culture systems and established multi-electrode array (MEA) electrophysiology as a core technique for understanding neuronal network dynamics. I developed strong expertise in MEA experimental design, data acquisition, and quantitative analysis of network dynamics. My technical leadership facilitated a key collaboration with Georgetown University to refine quantitative models of astrocyte-neuronal regulation. The caliber of this research was recognized through a 2024 Interdisciplinary Health Equity Research (IHER) grant, for which I served as the primary investigator.
In January 2025, I joined Nemours Children's Health to broaden my research to mouse model systems. My current work integrates MEA-based functional analysis with molecular methods to explore astrocyte-driven mechanisms in epilepsy. Specifically, I am investigating how astrocyte dysfunction leads to neuronal network synchronization. Backed by a recently submitted INBRE application, I am leveraging my versatile experience with both avian and murine models to build a platform for investigating neural network dysfunction.
My long-term goal is to establish an independent research program focused on astrocyte biology in epilepsy, using advanced MEA and optogenetic technologies to identify novel therapeutic targets while training the next generation of quantitative neuroscientists.
