To start with, I was born in a small town in the northeastern state of Manipur, India. Growing up, I was often mistaken for Nepali in my own state and for South east asian in other parts of India, which made it hard to feel like I truly belonged. That changed when I arrived in the USA for my PhD at Johns Hopkins University where I studied the reversibility of DNA damage and designed small molecules to induce it. Surrounded by immense diversity in the States, I finally felt welcomed. After completing my PhD, I sought out places in USA where diverse groups of people were driving exciting research. That search brought me to NYU for my postdoc, where I am now working on bridging my knowledge gap between understanding DNA damage and repair in vitro and within cells.

Outside the lab, when I am not brewing over the frustration of failed experiments, I am usually collecting coffee beans and brewing them myself. I also love exploring New York’s many cute cafes and sampling their savory pastries. Hiking has become a must to do activity whenever I travel to new places while running is a regular part of my daily routine. And a quirky fact about me is that I have an unusual addiction to eating ghost peppers and always welcome company to share the heat with me.