People

Principal Investigator

Arnab Barik

arnabbarik@iisc.ac.in

Curriculum vitae

Google Scholar

Assistant Professor, Center for Neuroscience, IISc

Adjunct Faculty, TCG-CREST, CHINTA

EMBO Global Investigator

Arnab did his B.Tech in Biotechnology at SRM University, Chennai, and his PhD in Neuroscience with Dr Lin Mei at the Medical College of Georgia, Augusta. During his PhD, he worked on the cellular and molecular mechanisms of neuromuscular junction development and maintenance. Next, Arnab wanted to explore another facet of the peripheral nervous system - somatosensation - specifically, what are the neural circuits underlying the sensation and perception of somatosensory information from the periphery. To pursue his interests in somatosensation, he moved to the National Institutes of Health to work in the laboratory of Dr Alexander Chesler. In his postdoctoral work, he identified a specific population of neurons in the parabrachial nucleus as being essential for generating affective responses to pain. In 2020, he joined the Center for Neuroscience as a principal investigator and plans to study the molecules, cells, and circuits that drive responses to pain and itch.

Research Assistants

Debstuti Basu

debstuti.basu2023@vitstudent.ac.in

Debstuti completed her Master’s in Biotechnology from VIT Vellore. She joined the lab as a Master’s thesis intern to understand the role of dopamine in itch processing and is now a Project Associate. Her fascination with neuroscience was deeply shaped by reading books on the brain during her Master’s days. A quote by David Eagleman, “If you could perceive reality as it is, you would be shocked by its colorless, odorless, tasteless silence. Outside your brain, there is just energy and matter,” seeded a deep quest in her to understand how the complex functioning of the brain makes us who we are. She strongly feels that individuality is built upon the memories that we accumulate; in fact, the selective encoding of experiences into memory has always fascinated her. Besides academics, she finds interest in classical music, theatre, and cooking.

Neha Adarsh

nehaadarsh1@iisc.ac.in

Neha completed her integrated BSMS from IISER Tirupati and worked on ‘The Role of Synaptic Plasticity in Chronic Neuropathic Pain in the Spinal Cord’ for her Master’s thesis. The idea that every piece of knowledge ever discovered or created is perceived by the brain fuels her passion for neuroscience. She wants to explore and understand how, at the circuit, behavioral, and systems levels, stress, pain, and neuropsychiatric insults and disorders affect emotional regulation, along with cognitive and learning capabilities.

Graduate Students

Yatika

yatika2021@iisc.ac.in

Yatika obtained her BSc Honors degree from the Department of Biochemistry, Panjab University, Chandigarh. She pursued her Masters in Biochemistry from All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Rishikesh. In her master's, she worked on a Single nucleotide polymorphism study of Glucose-6- phosphate dehydrogenase enzyme in neonates with hyperbilirubinemia. She became interested in neuroscience during her bachelor's in her neurobiochemistry course. She enjoys playing badminton, cricket, and practicing yoga.

Mousmi Rani

mousmirani@iisc.ac.in

Mousmi has completed her integrated B. Tech and M. Tech in Pharmaceutical Engineering and Technology from IIT (BHU), Varanasi. Her interest in neuroscience started in her master’s project, where she worked on delineating the role of gut microbiota in modulating the gut-brain axis under chronic pain conditions. Further, she wants to explore and understand how different structures in the brain function and interact to determine nocifensive behaviors. Apart from academics, she loves listening to music and watching anime.

Smriti Koul

smritikoul@iisc.ac.in

Smriti completed my Bachelor’s in Biochemistry from Sri Venkateswara College, Delhi University, and pursued a Master's in Biotechnology at Jamia Millia Islamia, Delhi. Her thesis's research topic was "The role of the red nucleus in fine motor output" at IISc Bangalore.

The mere contemplation of the idea that the world one perceives is entirely different from someone else's continually captivates her about neuroscience. Beyond her academic pursuits, Smriti has a keen interest in travel.

Abhilash Loi

abhilashloi@iisc.ac.in

Abhilash obtained his Integrated BS-MS dual degree from the National Institute of Science Education and Research, Bhubaneswar. During his Master’s project, he investigated the Neuroanatomical characterization of Kisspeptin in the brain of African Catfish. He is deeply engaged in the exploration of neuroscience, with a focus on uncovering the intricate mechanisms that underlie brain function and behavior. Apart from research, his dopaminergic neurons are fired when he plays kabaddi, cricket, and badminton, as well as while watching anime and thrillers.

Tenzin Ogyen Bhutia

tenzinbhutia@iisc.ac.in

Tenzin completed his Master's in Biotechnology at the Regional Centre for Biotechnology, Faridabad, where he worked in the structure elucidation and mechanism of bacterial proteins. He was interested in neuroscience, especially after a talk by Prof. David Julius on the behavioral and physiological studies of TRPV1 in temperature and pain. He is interested in the brain circuits that govern pain and itch using chemogenetics in mice. Apart from academics, he prefers playing football and playing chess.

Aayusha Holkar

aayushah@iisc.ac.in

Aayusha completed her Integrated master's in biotechnology from VIT Vellore. Her master's thesis focused on sex-specific differences in depression using a vicarious social defeat stress model, which gave her experience in molecular and behavioural neuroscience techniques. Driven by a deep fascination with how the brain functions, from psychological processes to underlying biological circuitry, she joined the Centre for Neuroscience to explore these intersections further. Her research interests focus on understanding the brain from a network and circuitry perspective, with an emphasis on how the connectome shapes individual identity and behaviour. Outside academics, she enjoys stand-up comedy, travelling, reading psychology, and dancing.

Subhakanta Sethi

subhakantas@iisc.ac.in

Subhakanta completed his B.Tech in Biotechnology from Andhra University, followed by an M.Tech in Medical Biotechnology at IIT Hyderabad. His master's thesis focused on "investigating the anti-amyloidogenic effects of polyphenols on aggregating protein implicated in ALS", developing a strong foundation in molecular biology and biophysical techniques. Driven by a strong interest in brain function and neurodegenerative mechanisms, he joined the Centre for Neuroscience to pursue neuroscience research. Outside academics, he enjoys cooking, playing badminton, gardening and keeping ornamental fish.

Thesis Students

Indrakshi Roy

indrakshiroy@iisc.ac.in

Indrakshi completed her Bachelor's degree in Microbiology from Lady Brabourne College, University of Calcutta. During her undergraduate project, she studied airborne microorganisms that can impact human health and investigated their antibiotic resistance patterns through phenotypic and molecular characterization. Her work focused on understanding the prevalence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in different environmental settings and their potential public health implications.

Her interest in neuroscience was sparked while preparing for a lecture competition on the gut–brain axis. Learning about the bidirectional communication between the nervous system and peripheral organs inspired her to explore how neural circuits process physiological signals and influence health and behavior. Apart from academics, she enjoys dancing, exploring new places, and spending time with friends and family.

Technical Support

Thejaswini

thejaswinig.cmc@vendor.iisc.ac.in

Thejaswini is our lab manager and handles hiring, ordering, and restocking the lab as required.

Nithin Kumar TJ

nithintj@iisc.ac.in

Nithin is our lab assistant and helps with preparing solutions and conducting various experiments.

Annappaswamy

Annappa has been our animal caretaker for the last six years. He ensures all our mice are well fed and healthy. Without his critical support, the lab will cease to function.

Alumni