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About Me
I am an evolutionary biologist who studies the evolution of human pathogens and human-associated microbial ecologies using ancient DNA and comparative genomics approaches. Currently, I am a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Oklahoma (OU). I am a member of Dr. Cecil Lewis' Working Group in the Laboratories of Molecular Anthropology and Microbiome Research (LMAMR). |
Research Interests
Pathogen Evolution; Human Microbiome; Ancient DNA; Neglected Tropical Diseases; Zoonotic Diseases; Bioinformatics
Pathogen Evolution; Human Microbiome; Ancient DNA; Neglected Tropical Diseases; Zoonotic Diseases; Bioinformatics
Background
I was born and brought up in Pune, India. I have a Bachelor's degree in Microbiology, with a minor in Industrial Microbiology, and a Master's degree in Virology from the University of Pune, India. For my Masters' thesis, I studied the impact of polymorphisms in human immune response genes, such as the Vitamin D receptor and the oligoadenylate synthetase gene cluster, on the outcome of Dengue virus infection in West Indian populations. I was supervised in this research by Dr. K. Alagarasu, Scientist D, National Institute of Virology, India.
In 2017, I completed my Ph.D. in Evolutionary Biology from Arizona State University (ASU), Tempe, U.S.A. My dissertation research involved studying the evolutionary histories of leprosy and tuberculosis using ancient DNA and a phylogenomic approach. I was co-advised in my doctoral research by Dr. Anne Stone, Regents' Professor, School of Human Evolution and Social Change, ASU, and Dr. Michael Rosenberg, Associate Professor, Virginia Commonwealth University.
I was born and brought up in Pune, India. I have a Bachelor's degree in Microbiology, with a minor in Industrial Microbiology, and a Master's degree in Virology from the University of Pune, India. For my Masters' thesis, I studied the impact of polymorphisms in human immune response genes, such as the Vitamin D receptor and the oligoadenylate synthetase gene cluster, on the outcome of Dengue virus infection in West Indian populations. I was supervised in this research by Dr. K. Alagarasu, Scientist D, National Institute of Virology, India.
In 2017, I completed my Ph.D. in Evolutionary Biology from Arizona State University (ASU), Tempe, U.S.A. My dissertation research involved studying the evolutionary histories of leprosy and tuberculosis using ancient DNA and a phylogenomic approach. I was co-advised in my doctoral research by Dr. Anne Stone, Regents' Professor, School of Human Evolution and Social Change, ASU, and Dr. Michael Rosenberg, Associate Professor, Virginia Commonwealth University.