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Ongoing Projects
Ongoing Projects
Neuroendocrine consequences of early life adversity
Neuroendocrine consequences of early life adversity
Broadly, my Ph.D. work focuses on the effects of early life adversity (ELA), in the form of maternal separation, on the development of the neuroendocrine system in rodent models. Specifically, I investigate how CRHR1 receptor trafficking acts as a molecular bridge connecting early stress to accelerated puberty and altered anxiety circuit development in adolescence. I am using behavioral, cellular, molecular, and circuit-based techniques to identify key therapeutic targets to mitigate the effects of ELA on pubertal development, adolescent and adult anxiety-related behavior, and the underlying neural activity in rats. Looking ahead, I plan to explore how these pubertal shifts may carry metabolic consequences well into old age and contribute to aging-related deficits.
Past Projects
Past Projects
Noradrenergic Regulation of Mitochondrial Function in the Hippocampus
Noradrenergic Regulation of Mitochondrial Function in the Hippocampus
Supervisor: Dr. Vidita Vaidya, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research
While monoaminergic signaling is well known to influence mood and cognition, its role in cellular energetics remains underexplored. Using qPCR, I contributed to characterizing how noradrenergic signaling modulates mitochondrial biogenesis and bioenergetic capacity in the hippocampus, revealing a novel link between neuromodulatory signaling and cellular energy metabolism (Kapri et al., In Press, Neuropsychopharmacology). These findings highlight mitochondrial pathways as potential therapeutic targets in stress-related and neurodegenerative disorders.
Supervisor: Dr. Neha Ahir, Ramnarain Ruia Autonomouse College
Abiotic stressors like salinity and drought significantly threaten crop productivity, particularly in regions like India where such conditions are widespread. This study examined how increasing salinity (2–10%) and drought (5–25%) conditions over 15 days affected levels of Ascorbate peroxidase (APX) and Proline in two varieties of Sorghum bicolor (M-35-1 and E-36-1). We found an inverse relationship between stress levels and APX, and a direct relationship with Proline across both varieties, with E-36-1 demonstrating greater stress tolerance than M-35-1. Under drought, Proline acted as the primary stress responder, while salinity additionally triggered APX upregulation to counter ROS-induced osmotic imbalance. These findings suggest that a combined Proline–APX response mitigates abiotic stress, opening avenues for stress-relief cocktails or targeted GM crop development with enhanced resilience.
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