I joined MFIG following on from my Integrated Master’s fourth-year project, which opened the door to a series of compelling questions surrounding the evolution of antifungal resistance in hyphae. My project identified aspects of resistance evolution which were largely unexplained, driving me to look further, culminating in a PhD project, awarded through the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC).

My project explores the evolution of antifungal resistance in hyphal fungal networks. My first area of interest involves interrogating heterokaryon fusion in hyphae, a process that may hold critical insights into the broader mechanisms of resistance spread and evolution in fungal masses. My research will also include multiscale modelling, integrating various scales of biological processes to better simulate in-host evolution and the selective pressure that arise. My aim is to integrate these AMR evolution-specific parameters into the Neighbour Sensing Model of filamentous fungal growth which was originally designed by David Moore and colleagues at Manchester two decades ago. 

I’m originally from India and completed my undergraduate degree at Trinity College Dublin, followed by an MbyRes at the University of Exeter. I’m passionate about microbial evolution, and my previous research has focused on how bacteria and viruses evolve under different selective pressures, including within unhealthy gut microbiomes, predator–prey interactions, and phage–bacteria arms races. I’m now excited to apply this evolutionary perspective to the fascinating and far more complex world of fungi!

At Manchester, my PhD focuses on understanding how antifungal resistance spreads in Aspergillus fumigatus. I’ll be using live-cell imaging, microfluidics, and AI-driven analysis to track how fungal cells share resistance traits through hyphal fusion.