Our Students

Research Interest: I study how environmental exposures and genetic susceptibility interact to influence brain health and neurodegenerative disease risk. My research focuses on identifying the biological mechanisms that link exposure to neuroinflammation, glial dysfunction, and neurodegeneration, with the goal of translating mechanistic findings into better risk assessment, biomarkers, and prevention strategies for disorders such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.

Research Interest: Development and application of computational approaches for biomarker discovery in PTSD using structural and functional MRI.

Research Interest: T cell-mediated mechanisms of fibrosis following tendon injury

Research Interest: Performing arts medicine, development of minimally invasive motion analysis technologies, neuromuscular signal processing for subclinical indicators of musician performance dysfunction

Research Interest: My research focuses on anemia caused by ferroptosis, a regulated form of cell death characterized by iron-dependent lipid peroxidation. I aim to identify key genetic factors and metabolic pathways that protect developing red blood cells from ferroptosis and preserve normal erythropoiesis.

Research Interest: Immune digital twin for treatment in systemic lupus erythematosus

Research Interest: Developmental Immunology in Preterm Infants

Research Interest: Role of Insulin-like Growth Factor Binding Protein-7 (IGFBP7) in Systemic Sclerosis-associated Pulmonary Hypertension (SSc-PH)

Research Interest: Understanding how prenatal stress and environmental exposures and placenta epigenetics influence child health outcomes.

Research Interest: In the Muthukrishnan lab, we study the immunobiology of musculoskeletal infections and work to identify novel biomarkers and therapeutics. I study the role of immune checkpoint TIM-3 and its role in modulating bacterial burden and T cell fates during chronic Staph aureus osteomyelitis. We aim to create more durable and effective treatment options for those suffering devastating consequences associated with bone infection.

Research Interest: My research focuses on patient-reported quality-of-life (QoL) outcomes in cancer immunotherapy, particularly among individuals receiving immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy. Using mixed-methods approaches, I am interested in survivorship, cognitive outcomes, health disparities, and the integration of patient-reported outcomes (PROs) into cancer care and research to better capture patient experience and improve patient-centered care delivery. My broader interests also include supportive oncology, caregiver experiences, and community-engaged approaches aimed at improving psychosocial outcomes and quality of life among individuals affected by cancer.

Research Interest: My current research interest focuses on the oral microbiome, metabolome, and immune markers in infants and their associations with pediatric diseases.

Research Interest: I am interested in translational cancer research, with a particular focus on pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). I hope to identify drivers of relapse in ALL and improve patient outcomes through personalized therapy.

Research Interest: Enhancing communication about cognitive impairment in cancer for older adults with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias and their care partners. Additionally, evaluating behavioral interventions to support caregiver resilience and immune well-being.

Research Interest: I am a third year PhD Candidate in the Translational Biomedical Science program and a member of the Cognitive Neurophysiology Lab with advisors John Foxe, PhD and Ed Freedman, PhD. My dissertation focuses on Rett syndrome, which is a rare, neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by intellectual disability, loss of communication, and motor impairments. I am particularly interested in better understanding cognition in Rett syndrome and how individuals with this disorder perceive and interact with their environment. Using electroencephalography (EEG), my research aims to identify brain-based biomarkers that may be useful in tracking changes in cognition in response to therapeutic intervention. My long-term goal is to facilitate clinical trials for rare disease communities through biomarkers and clinical endpoint development.

Research Interest: My research interests lie at the intersection of maternal-infant nutrition, human milk biology, and translational clinical research. My work focuses on understanding human milk composition and developing nutrition-based strategies to support infants with specialized clinical needs. Through this research, I aim to contribute to translational approaches that connect nutritional science with improved infant health outcomes.

Research Interest: Systems Biology, Translational Immunology, Therapeutic Development, in silico Modeling using ML/AI, Global Health.