Ms. Priya Thakur is a Ph.D. research scholar at CSIR-Institute of Genomics and integrative Biology, New Delhi, working in the field of disease modelling and CRISPR-cas genome editing. She is working towards modelling Gaucher Disease- the most common lysosomal storage disorder. It is caused due to genetic mutations in the GBA gene and is also the most common genetic risk factor for Parkinson’s Disease. She is interested in understanding the pathophysiological mechanism of the disease using patient derived induced pluripotent stem cells. These cells can be differentiated into disease affected cell types and can recapitulate the disease. Through the Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral Research Fellowship, she will work with field experts to overcome her limitations in achieving her research objectives.
Prior to joining IGIB, she worked as a project junior research fellow, to understand the role of histone proteins in breast cancer, under Dr. Sanjay Gupta at the Tata Memorial Centre-Advanced Centre for Treatment Research and Education in Cancer(TMC-ACTREC), Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra. She received her master’s degree in Medical Biotechnology from M.S University, Baroda, Gujarat, and her bachelor’s degree in Biotechnology from Mumbai University, Maharashtra. Apart from working in the lab, she enjoys watching movies, listening to music, and participating in adventure sports.