OUR GROUP
'There is a very special place in science for women who support other women'
~ The Wound Infection Lab.
Annual Diwali Party, October 2019
Karishma comes up with new ideas. She also writes grants. She has heard this to be called 'running a research group'.
Dr. Karishma S Kaushik
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR / RAMALINGASWAMI RE-ENTRY FELLOW
Ph.D. Molecular Genetics & Microbiology, UT Austin, USA
M.D. Clinical Microbiology, AFMC, Pune, INDIA
M.B.B.S. Maharashtra University of Health Sciences
Email: karishmaskaushik@gmail.com
Twitter: @KaushikLab
Snehal (along with Vandana) holds the lab together. You can bet on her for anything - from creating science opportunities for the group to organizing the best lab cake.
Snehal Kadam
RESEARCH ASSISTANT
Master of Science, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Pune
Bachelor of Science, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Pune
My interests in microbes cultured after my participation in the iGEM 2015 competition, studying a bacterial synthetic genetic AND gate system. My Masters Thesis project led me further into the world of microbes studying a genetic regulatory network in Salmonella Typhimurium pathogenesis at the National University of Singapore. Fascinated by all things bacterial, I am particularly interested in studying bacterial pathogens and understanding host-pathogen interactions. I am also part of the PreLights community , where we highlight interesting preprints in biology. When I'm not in the lab, I'm either reading, dancing or finding new places and food to explore!
Email: snehalgkad@gmail.com
Twitter: @sne_kad
Vandana (with Snehal) keeps the show running. Her listening ear and calm disposition holds the team together.
Vandana M
RESEARCH ASSISTANT
B.Sc. Microbiology, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Kerala
M.Sc. Microbiology, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Kerala
Graduated as a Microbiologist, I am always interested in understanding the microorganism to its depth. I'm also curious about parasitology and cancer biology. Other hobbies include drawing, gardening and preparing new recipes. Above all I find traveling most refreshing!
Email: kvandanas003@gmail.com
Twitter: @vanduz95
Masters' Thesis Students
Devyani Bhide
2nd Year, MSc Microbiology, Abasaheb Garware College, Pune.
My scientific interests mainly include immunology, genetics and medical microbiology. I am an avid reader love to travel. My love for dance comes from learning Bharatnatyam for the past eight years.
Vandana and Devyani presented their work at the National Research Scholars' Meet at ACTREC, Navi Mumbai in December 2019.
We are proud of them!
Devyani is working on developing an in vitro substrate based model to grow biofilms. She is also part of our Wound Fluid project.
Devyani has been a great find for our group. Want an experiment done ? Give her the job and a week.
Muhammed Sha Ashil K S
2nd year, M.Sc Microbiology Amrita school of Biotechnology, Kerala.
I am always passionate towards the micro world within us and around. I believe that for every problem there is a solution within the nature and we just have to mimic it. So i am highly interested in working with natural compounds in developing drugs for therapeutics. I love to engage with people and wanted to bring the best to my society.
We welcome Ashil to the lab!
Ashil is working to develop a formulation which will serve as 'a point of injury' therapeutic for acute burn wounds.
Get in touch if you think we can collaborate on this!
Ashil has been a great inclusion to our group. His initiative to develop and build out his Masters' thesis is an example!
Third-year project students (IBB)
Rutuja Ugale
3rd Year, Integrated M.Sc. Biotechnology, Institute of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology, SPPU,Pune.
Microbial world intrigues me. I am also interested in plant insect interaction,bioinformatics, molecular biology. I like to play with numbers; more interested in statistical analysis. I am a vagrant traveller of curiosity and like to explore new places
Utkarsha Tikhole
3rd Year, Integrated M.Sc. Biotechnology, Institute of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology, SPPU,Pune.
My scientific interests include subjects like microbiology, cell biology and molecular biology. I like reading, dancing and drawing.
Rutuja and Utkarsha represented our lab and presented their work at the 5th International Conference for Translational Research at NCCS, Pune.
Rutuja and Utkarsha are studying the role of certain wound fluid based components on bacterial biofilms. They are also part of our Wound Fluid project.
Our Project Students keep us positive and young. They bring in a special humor and vibrancy!
Interns
Niharika Jadeja
3rd year, BA Molecular and Cellular Biology (Neurobiology), BA Integrative Biology (Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Diversity), UC Berkeley.
My passion for biology stems from how much we have yet to learn about it; my specific research interests include neurobiology of the order Carnivora (especially otters!) When I'm not studying, I love spending time outdoors and go on spontaneous field trips, searching for birds and herptiles. I also work at the UC Botanical Gardens and help prep specimens in the Prep Lab of the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology.
Jay Panchpor
Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical), MIT College of Engineering, Pune.
My passion for engineering stems from my curiosity to learn how the world around me works, and trying to rebuild it to be more efficient. I am particularly interested in the field of Robotics and it's application in Biomedical Engineering. I have created an affordable 3D printed Prosthetic Arm for my Bachelor's Project and I hope to make it available on a commercial scale soon. When I'm not working, you'll find me binge watching Masterchef Australia or roaming around the fields and forests looking for birds!
Aniket Ajay Kandalkar
5th year, Integrated M.Sc./ M.Tech, Institute of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology (IBB), SPPU.
Since childhood, I have always been interested in making new things from the available stuff. Also, I always believed that biology and other subjects go hand in hand. Biochemistry, Physics, and understanding of protein functioning, its structural studies are my field of interest. I and my teammate, under the guidance of Mr. Amit Morarka, have filed two patents in the field of Microfluidics. Apart from this, I like playing football.
Aniket is helping us build an in-house mechanical flow device for an bioengineered wound platform.
FUN FACT!
Aniket is an IBB, SPPU student, but we actually connected on a project need on Twitter. He has come in and lent his expertise!
Previous Members
Janhavi Lele
2nd Year, BSc Microbiology, Abasaheb Garware College, Pune.
Savani Sakhalkar
2nd Year, BSc Microbiology, Abasaheb Garware College, Pune.
Janhavi, Savani, Shivani and Pratiksha worked as interns in the lab. They did a literature review of wound infection model systems, to understand current model systems and their advantages and disadvantages in capturing the infected wound microenvironment.
This was published in Frontiers Bioengineering and Biotechnology (2019).
Pratiksha Mokashi
2nd Year, BSc Microbiology, Abasaheb Garware College, Pune.
Shivani Nadkarni
2nd Year, BSc Microbiology, Abasaheb Garware College, Pune.
The fabulous four are on their way to completing their degree and onto newer opportunities!
Saptarsi Shai
3rd year, Bachelor of Pharmacy, Bharati Vidyapeeth, Poona College of Pharmacy, Pune.
Aditi Shahane
3rd year, Bachelor of Pharmacy, Bharati Vidyapeeth, Poona College of Pharmacy, Pune.