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Graduate Teaching Assistant

Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut

Helped teach the basics of R and Python programming during the course EEB4100- Big Data Science for Biologists- a class open for undergraduates and graduate students

• R, Python, Linux programming, Transcriptome assembly

Graduate Research Assistant

Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut

I am currently a PhD candidate at the University of Connecticut, leading a research project to find ways to conserve the Eastern Hemlock, a native tree species that an invasive insect, the hemlock wooly adelgid, currently threatens.

• Conservation biology, Host and plant interactions, Conifer genome assembly and annotation

Content Writer

XCode Life Sciences

I created articles that focus on the genetic factors behind various traits- like effect of genes on exercise and recovery, building immunity, diseases like rosacea and hereditary hemochromatosis.

• Content writing, Biology

Genetics Intern

Dümmen Orange

As a part of my internship at Dümmen Orange, I looked into the genome annotations of 'Old Blush' (Raymond et al., Saint-Oyant et al.) for resistance genes. Based on their descriptions, BLAST, comparison to other Rosaceae species, as well as selection pressure statistics (nucleotide diversity, ka/ks, fixation index, and Tajima's D); it was possible to narrow down potential R genes to a few genes that may have a function in conferring resistance to pathogens. This project was done using R.

• Disease resistance genes, roses, plant breeding, R

Biology and Chemistry teacher- Contract

National Academy of Learning

Took biology classes for 5th to 8th grade students. Took chemistry classes for 11th graders.

• Chemistry, Biology

EEB Graduate Student Association at UConn

Handled organization funds for the EEB GSA

Indian Student Association- WUR

Handled organization funds for ISA at WUR, helped organize, raise funds, and execute events to increase multicultural interactions at Wageningen

PhD

University of Connecticut, USA

Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

MS

Wageningen Univeristy and Research, The Netherlands

Plant Biotechnology

Bachelors

Vellore Institute of Technology- Deemed to be University, India

Biotechnology

Genome Assembly of a Living Fossil, the Atlantic Horseshoe Crab Limulus polyphemus, Reveals Lineage-Specific Whole-Genome Duplications, Transposable Element-Based Centromeres, and a ZW Sex Chromosome System

Oxford University Press

Crossroads of assembling a moss genome: navigating contaminants and horizontal gene transfer in the moss Physcomitrellopsis africana

Oxford University Press

Welcome to the big leaves: Best practices for improving genome annotation in non-model plant genomes

Applications in Plant Science

Ronald Bamford Grant

University of Connecticut

$1500 towards participating in the North American Forest Genetics Society conference in July of 2024.

Rednalis Award

University of Connecticut

$6000 towards assessing transcriptomes across hemlock species to assess the molecular mechanisms underlying genetic defense to stressors.

Graduate Student Research Award

New England Botanical Society

$1500 towards assessing transcriptomes across hemlock species to assess the molecular mechanisms underlying genetic defense to stressors.

Sargant Award

Arnold Arboretum- Harvard University

$8500 towards generating the first reference genome of _Tsuga canadensis_ and assessing transcriptomes across hemlock species to assess the molecular mechanisms underlying genetic defense to stressors.

$2200 in total in grants awarded by the Ronald Bamford Grant and the University of Connecticut for conference travel

$1500 in grants awarded by the Ronald Bamford Grant

$2100 in grants awarded by the Ronald Bamford Grant and the American Conifer Society