Biography

I graduated from MS University of Baroda, India, with M.S. in Biochemistry followed by M.Phil in Biotechnology from Delhi University, India and Ph.D. degree in Biochemistry from MS University of Baroda. Subsequently, I moved to United States and pursued my interest in molecular mechanism of genetic diseases. I worked as post-Doctoral fellow on muscular dystrophy at Children’s National Medical Center Washington DC. In 2010 I joined Dr. Sergei Nekhai's laboratory at Howard University to pursue my interest in infectious disease. Here at Howard University, I started my Career as Postdoctoral fellow. In 2013 I took the responsibility of Biochemist at Sickle Cell Center followed by Research Assistant Professor in 2017 in the department of Medicine. Subsequently in 2022 I was promoted to Research Associate Professor and proposed a Tenure Track Assistant professor position in the department of microbiology, Collage of Medicine, Howard University. In the present position I am participating in teaching microbiology, immunology to medical students and Graduate students. I also participate in teaching Dental and nursing students.

Key features of my research involve generating macrophages resistant to HIV-1 infection from induced pluripotent stem cells, establishing the role of ferroportin, heme oxygenase-1, CDK2, SAMHD1 and iron chelation on HIV-1 restriction and ex-vivo HIV-1 attenuation in Sickle Cell Disease. It is of interest to me to improve the molecular understanding of HIV-1 restriction. Identification of SAMHD1, p21 and CH25H as a restriction factor playing a role in the protection from HIV-1 in Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) has encouraged me to look for a novel mechanism of protection from HIV-1. Role of ferroportin in HIV-1 restriction is interesting.