Lab members

Dr. Monika is a Molecular Biologist with expertise in the recombinant production of potential drug targets for pathogenic bacteria and the identification of novel therapeutics through structure-based drug discovery. She completed her postgraduate studies at Maharishi Dayanand University, Rohtak, Haryana, where she gained proficiency in microbiological and molecular biology techniques. She pursued her PhD from Jaypee Institute of Information Technology, focusing on the structural and functional insights of Isocitrate Lyases from Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv. Her doctoral research was supported by the prestigious DST-INSPIRE Fellowship. Subsequently, she contributed to an ICMR-funded project as Scientist B, investigating multidrug-resistant ESKAPE pathogens. This research emphasized targeting existing drug targets and identifying new ones through genomics and proteomics approaches.

She briefly served as an Assistant Professor at Dev Bhoomi Uttarakhand University, Dehradun, where she designed and taught undergraduate and postgraduate courses in Biotechnology. Her research interests lie in developing inhibitors against pathogenic organisms by identifying, producing, and targeting their potential drug targets while exploring their structural and functional properties.

Khadijah holds a postgraduate degree in biochemistry from Aligarh Muslim University. During her master's thesis, she used a variety of biophysical techniques to examine proteins. She believes that this experience sparked her interest in learning about the structure and function of proteins. The SARS-CoV-2 crisis has made her think about potential pandemics, which is why she is further wanting to study the transcription and replication mechanisms of pathogenic viruses in her research. Outside the lab, she enjoys taking photos, swimming, and watching Korean dramas. Khadijah is enthusiastic about research and hopes to contribute to science in any way she can.

I am Santanu Kuilya, completed master’s in Molecular and Human Genetics form BHU, Varanasi. During my academic journey, I have acquired various biological techniques and plan to use them in the future to answer scientific questions. During my undergraduate studies, I became fascinated by the unique features and pathogenicity of viral infections. The severity and complexity of these infections sparked my interest in this field. Want to understand intrinsic play between Human-Virus and structure based function of viral proteins. Outside the lab, I enjoy travelling and listening to music.

Mohammad Ejaz Adil, a PhD student specialising in Structure-based Drug Discovery relating to viral proteins. He completed his Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees from Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi with expertise in Bioinformatics. Throughout his academic journey he has been equipped with various bioinformatics tasks where he gained hands on experience on Structural based Drug Discovery, Next generation sequencing(NGS) techniques. With a passion for unraveling the complexities of viral proteins, he is interested in exploring the role of viral proteins and their evolving nature. He is particularly interested in exploring the role of the structural and functional aspects of these viral proteins and developing new strategies for drug discovery. In his free time, he enjoys immersing himself in nature and loves travelling.He also cherishes spending quality time with his friends, making memories that last a lifetime.

Nayonika holds a Master’s degree in Microbiology from St. Joseph’s University, Bangalore, where her fascination with microscopic organisms sparked a particular interest in viruses—the most intriguing of the lot. Her experience working in molecular immunology and cell biology labs after graduation further deepened her curiosity about understanding cells and molecules on a more intricate level through Structural Biology. Currently, she is merging these passions by focusing on the development of antibodies and vaccines targeting pathogenic Flaviviruses, leveraging structural studies of viral proteins. She aspires for her work to contribute significantly to scientific advancements and their therapeutic applications. Beyond the lab, Nayonika enjoys exploring art films and psychological thrillers, visiting art galleries, theatres, and music concerts, traveling, and practicing as a trained classical dancer.

Zeba completed her Master's in Biomedical Sciences from ACBR, University of Delhi, where she gained expertise in both experimental and computational approaches. During her master's research, she worked on combination therapies for cancer treatment, integrating wet-lab experiments with computational techniques to identify potential drug interactions. This strengthened her interest in molecular mechanisms and led her to structural biology, where she is particularly fascinated by understanding protein structures and their functional roles at a fundamental level. She is currently focused on studying the structural aspects of proteins. Outside of research, she enjoys painting and dancing, which provide a creative outlet alongside her scientific work.