About Me
In the Mysorekar lab, I have focused on two questions at two different interfaces: Viral infections (Zika virus and SARS COV2) during pregnancy and bacterial infections (UTIs) in the bladder; both significant problems in women’s health.
I systemically elucidated the early responses of bladder mucosa to the invading uropathogenic E.coli, which are the principal causative agents of UTIs. Using the CRISPR-KO strategy, I elucidated a novel role of anti-oxidant response factor NRF2 for controlling the oxidative stress response during urinary tract infections and demonstrated a new pharmacological approach to treat urinary tract infections (Joshi et al., 2021)
Bladder epithelial cells activate the NRF2 pathway in response to urinary tract infections caused by uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC). The NRF2 pathway promotes UPEC expulsion, a major defense mechanism. Dimethyl fumarate, a NRF2 activator, promotes UPEC clearance in a mouse model of UTIs.
Cell Reports 37, 109856
Professional Experience
2021 - Present
Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
Mentor: Prof. Indira U. Mysorekar
2017 - 2021
Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
Mentor: Prof. Indira U. Mysorekar
2014 - 2017
Postdoctoral fellow, Department of Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai, India.
Mentor: Prof. Krishanu Ray
2007 - 2014
Graduate Student, Gamete Immunobiology, National Institute for Research in Reproductive Health, Mumbai, India.
Thesis title: Unravelling the role of novel protein Liprin α3 in sperm physiology
Mentor: Prof. Vrinda V. Khole
Awards, Scholarships, and Teaching Experience
2014
Travel Award, Lalor Foundation, to attend 39th Annual meeting organized by American Society of Andrology at Atlanta, Buckhead
2013
Senior Research Fellowship by Indian Council of Medical Research
2007-2010
Junior Research Fellowship by Department of Science and Technology, India
2014 – 2017
Visiting faculty, Biotechnology Master’s program at Smt. C.H.M College, University of Mumbai, India.
2011-2014
Private endeavor (Helix Biotech) in conducting lectures and hands-on laboratory practical experience for Master’s students of Biotechnology, University of Mumbai, India.
Presentations
Oral presentations:
Nov 2021
Invited talk at Texas-American Society of Microbiology (ASM)
"The NRF2/Keap1/p62 Pathway Governs the Host Response to Urinary Tract infections"
Nov 2020
Short talk, Mechanisms of Aging (Virtual), Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, September 22 - 25, 2020.
April 2019
Invited talk, NRF2 pathway regulates urothelial response to UPEC, Indian Institute of Technology, IIT Mandi, Himachal Pradesh, India.
April 2019
Invited talk, Molecular Crosstalk between Redox Stress and Autophagy Regulates Urothelial Defense Responses to Uropathogenic Escherichia Coli Infection, National Institute for Research in Reproductive Health, Mumbai, India
Feb 2019
Invited speaker, Molecular Crosstalk between Redox Stress and Autophagy Regulates tissue homeostasis in the urinary bladder, Regeneration, Aging and Development forum, Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA.
Nov 2018
Invited speaker, Mechanisms of urothelial defenses against Uropathogenic Escherichia coli infection, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Center for Reproductive Health Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA.
Poster presentations:
Oct 2020
“The NRF2/Keap1/p62 pathway governs the host response to Uropathogenic E. coli infection” at Virtual Keystone Symposia Autophagy: Mechanisms and Disease, October 04 - 08, 2020.
Oct 2019
“Mechanisms of redox stress response in the urinary tract in the context of UTIs” East to West Iron Club, 2019, New York, NY, USA.
Mar 2017
“Germ cell transit amplification is non-autonomously regulated by the EGFR downstream target, miRNA bantam” at 58th Annual Drosophila Research Conference, 2017 San Diego, California, USA.
July 2015
“Expression of the feedback regulators of the EGFR signaling in Drosophila testis” at Indian Society of Developmental Biology, Centre for Molecular and Cellular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India
April 2014
“Regulation of acrosome reaction by Liprin α3, LAR and its ligands in mouse sperm” at 39th Annual meeting of American Society of Andrology (ASA) organized at Atlanta, GA, USA
Feb 2013
“Liprin α3: a putative estrogen-regulated acrosomal protein” at an international conference on REPROMICS-OMICS in reproduction at Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
Feb 2010
“Characterization of a novel protein Liprin alpha 3 identified using differential proteomics” presented at International Conference on Reproductive Health and 20th Annual Meeting of the Indian Society for the Study of Reproduction and Fertility, organized by University of Rajasthan. Rajasthan, India
Oct 2009
“Validation of Sperm Proteins identified using Differential Proteomics” presented at International Conference on Laboratory Animal Science: Applications in Biomedical Research jointly organized by the National Institute for Research in Reproductive Health and the Laboratory Animal Scientists’ Association (LASA) of India at the University of Mumbai, Mumbai, India