Members

Current members: Graduate students

Dr. Garima Joshi

I completed a B.Sc. in Advanced Zoology and Biotechnology from Women's Christian College, Chennai, and an M.Sc. in Biotechnology from the University of Madras. I have qualified for GATE and joined the lab in January 2020. I enjoy music, poetry writing, and birdwatching, reading online blogs, and watching movies in my leisure time.

I worked on ABPs Coronin and CKAP4 in projects on cytoskeletal intermediate filament dynamics during neurogenesis. I defended my thesis in November 2025.👏👏

(garimaj19@iiserb.ac.in)

Dr. Jyotsna Kawadkar

I graduated from the Regional Institute of Education, Bhopal, and completed my MSc in Zoology from Dr. Hari Singh Gour Vishwavidyalaya, Sagar, Madhya Pradesh. I have qualified for the CSIR-JRF and INSPIRE fellowship, and I joined the lab in January 2020. Beyond academics, I enjoy drawing and listening to music in my spare time. I like visiting adventurous places, reading stories, and watching movies.

I analyzed the roles of Y-complex members, Nup107 and Nup43, in Drosophila metamorphic development and spermatogenesis. I defended my thesis in November 2025. 👏👏

(jyotsna19@iiserb.ac.in)

Divya Bindra

Born in Delhi, I completed my B.Sc. from Bhaskaracharya College of Applied Sciences, Delhi University, and later moved to the University of Hyderabad to pursue an M.Sc. in Biotechnology. I have qualified for the CSIR-NET JRF and GATE examinations and joined the lab in August 2020. When not in the lab, you would find me segueing from sports to exploring places or writing songs or poems.

I have been delineating the relation between Nucleoporin overexpression and cancer, and analyzing the efficacy of chemical probes in diseases like cancer.

(divya20@iiserb.ac.in)

Harsh Vardhan Singh

Coming from the holy city of Mathura, I completed my B.Sc. from Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Pashu Chikitsa Vigyan Vishwavidyalaya, Mathura, and M.Sc. in Biotechnology from the Central University of Rajasthan, Jaipur. I have qualified for CSIR-NET JRF, DBT-NET, and GATE examinations and joined the lab in August 2021. My co-curricular interests involve playing Basketball, Badminton, and Cricket.

I will wrestle with SUMO and will explore details of the SUMOylation process operating in different cellular pathways leading to cell proliferation and migration.

(harsh21@iiserb.ac.in)

Nikita Sharma

I hail from Bikaner, Rajasthan. I obtained my MSc in Microbiology with a gold medal from the Central University of Rajasthan, Ajmer. I qualified for the GATE examinations in both Biotechnology and Life Sciences, as well as the DBT-JRF scholarship. I find great joy and solace in painting and traveling.

Joined the NSBG in July 2023, and my research will focus on the importance of Nucleoporins of Y-complex in neuro-developmental studies on Drosophila.

(nikita21@iiserb.ac.in)

Akshita Gupta

I belong to the pink city, Jaipur. I graduated from the University of Maharani College, Jaipur. Moving from that, I completed my MSc in Zoology from University of Rajasthan, Jaipur. I have qualified CSIR NET JRF and GATE examinations and joined the lab in August 2022. My co-curricular activities are music and singing, Art and craft, and exploring new places.

I will working towards identifying roles nucleoporins play in immune cell development and function.

(akshita22@iiserb.ac.in)

Kaveri A. S.

A native of Trivandrum, Kerala, I am a BS-MS graduate from IISER Bhopal. I have qualified for the GATE-2022 examination in Life Science and Biotechnology and the INSPIRE Fellowship, and have joined the lab for my Ph.D. in August 2022. The hobbies I enjoy most are dancing, listening to music, and embroidering.

My research will focus on the importance and consequences of Nucleoporin and Sumoylation on their downstream cellular effects.

(kaveri22@iiserb.ac.in)

Swapnil Kumar Singh

Coming from the twin city of Kashi, I have earned a B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Zoology from Banaras Hindu University and an MTech from IIT Kanpur. I have qualified for the CSIR-UGC NET, DBT-JRF, and GATE, and joined IISER Bhopal in August 2024. Beyond Science, I love singing, poetry writing, and badminton as my hobbies and interests.

I joined lab in March 2026 and will be exploring the roles of Nucleoporins in the model organism Drosophila, focusing on organ development and disease.

(swapnilks24@iiserb.ac.in)

Smit Patel

I come from the banks of Sabarmati, Ahmedabad. I have completed my BSc in Biotechnology from Gujarat University and my MSc in Biotechnology from Nirma University in Ahmedabad. I have qualified for CSIR-UGC JRF and joined a lab in January 2025.

I have a keen interest in translational research, reading medical literature, and am passionate about exploring new research concepts and techniques. I will be exploring the role of SUMOylation of ABPs in neurodegenerative diseases.

(patels24@iiserb.ac.in)

Mayuri Singh

A native of Orange City, Nagpur, Maharashtra, I completed my Master’s degree from Goa University. I have also qualified for CSIR-UGC NET, DBT-JRF, and GATE (XL and BT) examinations, and with a commitment to scientific research excellence, I joined IISER in January 2025. Outside the lab, I enjoy reading novels, exploring new places, practicing yoga, and expressing my creativity through mandala drawing to maintain a balanced, inspired lifestyle.

I joined the lab in March 2026, and will analyze in detail the role of Y-complex in homeostatic embryonic development in Drosophila.

(singhmb24@iiserb.ac.in)

Aditi Rastogi

Belonging to Sasaram, Bihar, and completing B.Sc. in Zoology (Hons.) from BHU, I obtained M.Sc. in Zoology with specialization in Endocrinology from the University of Lucknow. I have qualified the CSIR JRF and joined the lab in January 2026.

I am passionate about dance, traveling, and exploring new places. I also enjoy staying active by playing badminton. Inclined to nature, I spend much of my leisure time observing plants and birds. With a theoretical background in Zoology, I will be exploring the role of nucleoporins in Drosophila organ and embryonic development.

(aditi25@iiserb.ac.in)

Undergraduates:

Aarya Gupta

Born and raised in the city of Dhuandhar Falls, Jabalpur, I have developed a keen interest in proteostasis and oncologic pathways. For my MS project at IISER Bhopal, I will analyze the role of nucleoporins in protein synthesis during oncogenesis. In addition, I will be studying the regulation of the protein quality control (PQC) system in a collaboration with NSBG and Dr. Dimitris Xirodimas’ lab at CRBM-CNRS in Montpellier, France.

My cocurricular interests lie in reading, quizzing, crafts, and music.

(aarya22@iiserb.ac.in, 22005)

Aditya Aggarwal

Coming from Moga, Punjab, a vibrant city with a rich cultural heritage and a strong community spirit, has instilled a deep sense of dedication, perseverance, and enthusiasm in me.

In my MS project, my focus will be SUMOylation of cytoskeletal proteins and the role of the cytoskeleton in disease progression and cellular dysfunction. Beyond academics, I enjoy playing Badminton and performing Bhangra, which helps me stay active.

(adityaa22@iiserb.ac.in, 22018)

Hemal Bapat

Brought up in Pune, Maharashtra, I joined IISER Bhopal in 2022, driven by a passion for biology and a desire to pursue research. With an interest in early embryonic development and the role of transcription factors, I will be exploring the role of nucleoporins of the Nup107 complex using Drosophila as a model organism in my MS thesis.

Beyond academics and lab experiments, you can usually find me lost in a book or listening to music.

(bapat22@iiserb.ac.in , 22074)

Aditya Gitte

Born and brought up in Pusad, a town nestled in the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra, I joined IISER Bhopal in 2022, driven by a curiosity to understand biological systems and the science behind them.

I joined the lab in May 2026, and I will be working on nucleoporin SUMOylation and its downstream effects. My cocurricular interests include playing table tennis and chess, listening to music, picking up the guitar, and spending time playing video games.

(gitte22@iiserb.ac.in, 22132)

Mahima Chaturvedi

Belonging to the eternal city of Varanasi, and completing BSc Kashi Vidhyapith, Varanasi, I have qualified for national-level examinations, including IIT JAM, CUET PG, and GAT-B. I joined IISER Bhopal for MSc (Biotechnology) in August 2025, and joined the group in May 2026.

In my MS project, I will analyze the roles of nucleoporins and SUMOylation in cellular processes, particularly in protein transport and its regulation. In my free time, I enjoy listening to music, drawing and painting, and reading novels and books.

(mahimac25@iiserb.ac.in, 250113)