I am an 'Excellence by Choice' Postdoctoral Researcher, investigating the role of a plant transcription factor (CAMTA3) and associated partners in plant stress responses.
I am a postdoctoral fellow within the ‘Excellence by Choice’ programme in the group of Professor Magnus Andersson (Department of Chemistry) and Professor Åsa Strand (Umeå Plant Science Centre). My project focuses on utilizing biochemistry and structural biology techniques to decipher the role of Arabidopsis transcription factor CAMTA3, a DNA binding protein in mediating abiotic stress responses in plant.
I come from Kolkata, India and during my Master of Science (2017) dissertation work (Prof. Krishnendu Acharya's laboratory, University of Calcutta), I was introduced to the concept of plant microbe interactions while studying the impact of biological control on green mould disease of oranges and Indian gooseberry. Later on, I pursued my PhD (2018-2023) at University of Cologne, Germany (Prof. Gunther Doehlemann's laboratory) on elucidating the impact of a Glycoside Hydrolase protein in the microbiome of Arabidopsis thaliana leaf surface. During my PhD, I was also part of the Cluster of Excellence in Plant Science (CEPLAS) graduate school, which promoted academic exchanges between different research institutes in Germany.
Prior to joining as an EC postdoc fellow, I was part of the Marie Curie COFUND postdoc program AGenT (Dr. Maria Lois' laboratory) at CRAG, Barcelona, Spain, where I was analyzing the effect of fungal pathogen infection on post translational modification in Arabidopsis thaliana.
Aside from academic research, I have been active in science communication and outreach (Falling walls 2019, Soapbox Science 2021, Pint of Science 2022 and 2024, European Researcher's night 2024), during my years in Germany and Spain. I have also served as a Junior Board member in the International Society of Plant microbe interactions (IS-MPMI) from 2022-2025.