Research Associate II
Trained as a protein biochemist and structural biologist with experience in various biochemical and biophysical methodologies including X-ray crystallography, electron microscopy and small-angle X-ray scattering.
I pursued my Ph.D. from protein science and engineering division at the Institute of Microbial Technology (IMTECH), Chandigarh, India under the supervision of Dr. Ashish. During my Ph.D., I studied the structure-function relationship of two kidney protein (Neph1 and ZO-1), which are critical for human kidney function, using small-angle X-ray scattering and biochemical approaches. Following that, I joined the University of Michigan as a post-doctoral fellow where I got an opportunity to work in a multidisciplinary environment. In addition, I received training on high-resolution methods such as electron microscopy and X-ray crystallography under the supervision of Prof. Markos Koutmos and Prof. Yiorgo Skiniotis. During my post-doctoral training I worked on receptor (Leptin Receptor), RNase P and DNA Origami, where I utilized electron microscopy and X-ray crystallography to study structure-function relationships. Moving forward, I joined the Centre for Structure Biology, Life Science Institute, University of Michigan as a Research Investigator, where I worked on early-stage drug discovery projects and used X-ray crystallography to understand the protein-small molecule/ligand interactions.
Currently, at the Sgourakis Lab my main focus includes understanding the antigen processing and presentation by MHC molecules. I provide structural insight into the assembly of MHC and antigen peptide and to understand the molecular dynamics.