P Vidya Vardhini

My inspiration to choose the field of research might have been seeded by the inquisitive cartoon characters “Bhoojo” and “Paheli” from NCERT Science textbooks who would ask exciting questions related to simple science topics. They made me realize that there is more than one dimension to perceiving what goes on around us and that simple questions can unravel the unknown truths surrounding us. Naturally, I have taken an interest in joining the science stream after schooling. I have done my Bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Biotechnology, during which I got an essence of what a career in research would look like. I got acquainted with both plant biotechnology and plant tissue culture techniques. To understand the fundamental pathways and regulation that I had little knowledge of, I chose Biochemistry and Molecular Biology specialization for my Master’s degree. The courses helped me understand the fundamental biology and biochemistry of molecules in life processes. During the Integrated Master’s-PhD course, I chose Prof. Krishnaveni Mishra’s lab for my M. Sc Dissertation and to continue my PhD research.

In KM's lab, I am currently focused on finding the role of RNA processing mechanisms in cell fate determination. We use the model organism, Saccharomyces cerevisiea, a single celled Eukaryotic cell which possesses 23% homologous genes to human with conserved functions. Visit my Research page to learn more about the work my lab and I are engaged in.