EDUCATION

PhD in Environmental Toxicology , University of California, Irvine

September 2022–Present

• Investigating role of immune-mediated neuroinflammation in Gulf War Illness (GWI), with a focus on T cell infiltration–driven microglial activation and its role in cognitive, behavioural, and mood alterations

  Exploring the neuroimmune axis as a therapeutic target, aiming to identify pathways linking peripheral immune activation to central nervous system dysfunction

• Led a project on the therapeutic potential of spermidine, demonstrating its role in modulating the gut–brain axis, improving blood–brain barrier integrity, and reducing neuroinflammation

• Integrated microbiome and neuroimmune analyses to uncover how systemic factors influence brain inflammation and disease progression in GWI

• Identified gut microbiome signatures associated with chronic fatigue in Gulf War veterans, highlighting microbiota as potential therapeutic targets

• Investigated the systemic impact of Gulf War-related exposures, demonstrating activation of HMGB1–RAGE signalling pathways and their contribution to inflammation and fibrosis-like pathology

• Conducted clinical molecular diagnostics for COVID-19, performing RNA extraction and real-time PCR on human samples in a BSL-2 setting to detect viral infection

• Investigated the reproductive and developmental effects of curcumin nanoparticles, assessing how nanomaterial- based interventions influence gestational outcomes and maternal physiology

• Explored mechanism of endocrine disruption by Bisphenol-A (BPA), identified altered miRNA profiles and gene regulation in prostate tissue across generations

• Studied the epigenetic impact of environmental toxicant, Triclosan, resulting in altered DNA methylation, hormone signalling, and reproductive function

• Applied a range of molecular and histological approaches to understand how environmental exposures influence gene expression, development, and disease risk

• Wen Public Health Pedagogical Fellowship, 2026, Department of Environmental & Occupational Health, University of California, Irvine, CA

• Association of Scientists of Indian Origin (ASIO), Best Abstract Award - Society of ToxicologyConference, 2026, San Diego, CA

• Graduate Student Best Abstract Award, Society of Toxicology Conference, 2026, San Diego, CA

• Southern California Regional Chapter Graduate Student Travel Award, Society of Toxicology Conference, 2026, San Diego, CA

• ASIO Graduate Student Best Abstract Award, Society of Toxicology Conference, 2024, Salt Lake City, Utah

1. Society of Toxicology Conference, 2026, San Diego, California, USA

2. American Physiological Summit, 2025, Baltimore, Maryland, USA

3. VA Annual Research Fair, 2024, Tibor Rubin VA Medical Center, Long Beach, California, USA

4. American Physiological Summit, 2024, Long Beach, California, USA

5. Society of Toxicology Conference, 2024, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA

6. VA Annual Research Fair, 2022, VA Columbia South Carolina Health Care, Columbia, South Carolina, USA