Originally from New Delhi, I moved to Philadelphia for my PhD in Immunology from Drexel University College of Medicine. After that, I moved to Dr. Wayne Hancock’s laboratory to pursue research on regulatory T cells (Tregs), a component of the immune system that is responsible for maintaining homeostasis by suppressing excessive immune responses. The skills Tregs possess can be put to therapeutic use by using strategies to tweak their function- suppression can be beneficial for anti-tumor responses whereas activation would ameliorate autoimmune responses. We approach this by first understanding the epigenetic landscape that decorate the genetic information in the Tregs and then target the responsible enzymes using small-molecule inhibitors. I utilize mouse model systems to understand the contribution of individual Histone Deacetylase (HDACs) and Histone Acetyl Transferases (HATs) enzymes in Treg biology and function, using conventional (Western blotting) as well as high-throughput techniques (RNA-seq; ATAC-seq). The hope is to identify key epigenetic modifiers that play a vital role in Tregs’ function while sparing unwanted outcomes. In collaboration with Dr. Ulf Beier, I also work on immunometabolic aspects that regulate Tregs’ biology and function. In addition to research, my passions include traveling and biking.
Hancock Lab
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
916B Abramson Research Center
3615 Civic Center Boulevard
Philadelphia, PA 19104
(215) 590-8709