Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Experienced Molecular & Behavioral Neuroscientist with demonstrated experience in wide range of neural circuits implicated in movement & locomotion, Food Intake, Body Weight Regulation, Metabolism & obesity, Reward & Motivation, Cognition & Affective Behavior, Endocrinology, Aging & Neurodegenration. Demonstrated ability and experience to form cross functional collaborations, successful experience in working with people from diverse cultures & working styles, excellent team player with strong inter-personal skills, results oriented with attention to detail with problem solving skills. Strong analytical written and verbal skills through thesis writing, scientific manuscript writing, grant writing, academic reports and seminar presentations. Skilled in Molecular Biology, Transgenic Mice Models, Neuroanatomy, Optogenetics, Chemogenetics, Histology, Immunofluorescence, Confocal & 2-Photon Imaging, Western Blotting, Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), ELISA, In Vivo Neuropharmacology, Metabolic Phenotyping & Behavioral Phenotyping .
Published in ✪ Frontiers in Neuroscience Summary I have significantly contributed in characterization of novel descending neural circuits and their effect on animal behavior such as locomotion. The utility of studying micro and macro circuit is enormous and will provide novel insight to develop new treatments relevant to brain/spinal cord injury, pain, obesity/eating disorders, age-related cognitive disorders etc. I utilize following research tools & techniques and also train lab members in these techniques : • Stereotaxic surgery to deliver chemical/genetic agents in brain nuclei • Neural circuit tracing using chemicals such as dextrans, Fluorogold, retrobeads and viral and transgenic approaches. • Chemo/Optogenetics approaches to test functions of identified neural circuits. • Experience in wide range of behavioral phenotyping (e.g. Cognition, Reward, Metabolic, Affective, Sensorimotor etc.) and experience in wide variety of behavioral suits & softwares • Experience in Neuroanatomy, histology and Immunohistochemistry. Experience in imaging using epifluorescence, Confocal & multi photon imaging.
Published in ✪ Cell Metabolism ✪ International Journal of Obesity (2) ✪ Frontiers in Neuroscience ✪ Psychoneuroendocrinology ✪ International Journal of Developmental Neuroscience ✪ JOVE ✪ Canadian Journal of Diabetes Summary My goal in the lab was to understand the neurobiological adaptations underlying consumption of palatable food. One of the key finding was to show that chronic consumption of saturated high-fat palatable diet leads to neuroadaptations in the brain reward circuitry and these neuroadaptations were tied to increase anxiety & depressive like behavior. My studies also contributed to understand neurobiological mechanisms underlying cravings during withdrawal from palatable diet. My studies provided a novel evidence of neuroinflammation in the brain reward circuitry in mice fed saturated high-fat diet (Manuscript under preparation). Research tools & techniques: • Food intake & body weight studies in mice, Echo-MRI, running wheels, metabolic chambers etc- • ELISA for various plasma markers such as leptin, corticosterone, insulin, and various cytokines • Western blot & RT-PCR studies of proteins involved in metabolic, neuroinflammation & anxiety/depression in brain samples • Stereotaxic surgeries in mice targeting nucleus accumbens to express viral constructs • Behaviors such as Elevated plus maze, open field, forced swim test, tali-suspension test, Operant chambers ( progressive ratio, delayed discounting etc), conditioned place preference, use of EthovisionXT, metabolic chambers equipped with infrared beams to measure locomotor activity and metabolic activity • Immunohistochemistry & Fluorescence Imaging
Published in ✪ Experimental Neurology ✪ Scientific Reports ✪ Plos One ✪ Neuroscience Summary Lipids in Brain Health & Disease I studied the effect of diet on brain health and repair after brain injury. Our research showed that DHA (a polyunsaturated fatty acid) in the diet is required to promote normal neuronal & synaptic functions, is also important in recovery after traumatic brain injury and a deficiency in brain DHA levels may promote anxiety-like behavior associated with impairments in neuronal & synaptic plasticity. Research tools & techniques: • Traumatic brain injury • Execise & dietary manipulation of mice • ELISA, Western Blot, RT-PCR • Immunohistochemistry & Imaging • Behaviors such as Morris water maze, open field, elevated plus maze, beam walk, Catwalk, ANYMAZE, SMART
Published in ✪ Brain Research Bulletin ✪ Biogerontology (2) ✪ AGE ✪ Annals of New York Academy of Sciences ✪ Neurochemical Research Summary Nutrition & Aging Brain health & Cognition Reversing age-related neuronal, synaptic & cognitive impairments with dietary restriction. Based on our previous results which indicated beneficial effects of dietary restriction on neuronal health after excitotoxic injury, we asked the question whether dietary restriction started late in life exerts beneficial effects on neuronal functions & behavior. Research Tools & techniques: • Dietary manipulation & body weight regulation studies • Chemical Excitotoxicity using kainic acid • ELISA, Western Blot, RT-PCR, in situ hybridization, immunohistochemistry • Fluorescence Imaging • Behaviors such as Morris water maze, rotarod
Neuroprotective potential of dietary restriction against excitotoxic brain injury