Meet The Team
Priyanka performed doctoral studies in the lab of Dr Gerard Campbell, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, USA. Here she studied mechanisms of transcriptional regulation. Using a modified ends out genome editing strategy she investigated why many eukaryotic transcriptional repressors utilize more than one accessory corepressor proteins, using Brinker a transcription factor in Drosophila as a model.
She went on to perform postdoctoral research with Dr Hilary Ashe at the Division of Molecular and Cellular Function, University of Manchester, UK. Here she used CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing and MS2 live imaging to dissect bone morphpogenetic protein (BMP) gradient and cell fate in the early Drosophila embryo.
She joined the faculty at Department of Medical Genetics, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal, MAHE, Manipal in 2016. She is broadly interested in collaborative human genetics research focused to decipher disease mechanisms. Her work uses Drosophila and mammalian cell culture to model and understand the pathomechanisms underlying rare genetic disorders. She is also interested in exploring the genetic variations in human disease in worldwide populations. And she studies primary ciliogenesis and its role in skeletal development and repair.
‘Out of lab’ Priyanka enjoys reading, writing and is a passionate runner. She discovered running later in life but it has reinforced her belief in living life outside comfort zones.
Neha Quadri, MSc.
PhD scholar
neha.quadri[at]learner.manipal.edu
Neha got her Bachelor’s degree in Microbiology, Biochemistry and Chemistry from Aurora Degree College, Hyderabad, India. As an undergrad she worked on a summer project under the guidance of Dr. Ravi Manjithaya, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), Bangalore, India, through the Project Oriented Biology Education (POBE) fellowship program from JNCASR. She obtained a Master’s from Institute of Bioinformatics and Applied Biotechnology (IBAB), Bangalore, India.
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Currently she is performing doctoral research in the lab of Dr Priyanka Upadhyai. Here she is studying the crosstalk of primary ciliogenesis with other cellular processes such as autophagy in chondrogenic differentiation and their abrogation in rare chondrodysplasias.
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'Out of lab' her interests include reading, watching sci – fi movies , skating and sketching.
Sampreeth S Bhat, MSc.
PhD scholar
sampreeth.kmcmpl2024[at]learner.manipal.edu
Sampreeth is a doctoral student in Dr. Priyanka Upadhyai's lab. His research is focused on elucidating the role of RNA exosome components in neurodegenerative disorders using Drosophila as a model organism. He holds a Master's in Medical Biotechnology from Manipal School of Life Sciences (MSLS) and a Bachelor's in Biotechnology, Chemistry, and Zoology from St. Aloysius College, Mangalore.
Out of Lab interests - Reading, listening to podcasts, and jogging.
Sneha Kumari, MSc.
Junior Research Fellow
Sneha has pursued B.Sc. in Industrial Microbiology from Patna Women’s College, Patna university and M.Sc. Biotechnology from Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan University, Bhubaneswar. She did her Master’s dissertation from School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad.
She has approximately 5 years of experience working in academic institutes and also Biopharma industry. She has worked in Department of Molecular Genetics, LV Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad; AIIMS, Bhubaneswar; DBT-Institute of Life Sciences, Bhubaneswar and R&D of Aurobindo Pharma, Hyderabad.
Currently, she is working on the project “Investigating the Pathomechanisms underlying the RNA exosome component EXOSC1 associated neurodegenerative disorder”.
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Out of Lab interests: listening music, singing, taking photographs of nature and reading books.
ALUMNI
Neeraj JM
Role in the lab: Junior Research Fellow
Current position: PhD student
Amrita Center for Nanosciences and Molecular Medicine, Trivandrum, India
Kushala Ravi:
Role in the lab: Junior Research Fellow
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Ibakordor Khyriem
Role in the lab: Junior Research Fellow
Current position: PhD student at IIT Guwahati
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Chaya Bharthi Chandra
Role in lab: Junior Research Fellow
Vishal Singh Guleria
Role in lab: PhD scholar (defended Feb 2024)
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