Assay development and validation with focus on automated patch clamp using stem cell derived cellular model. Cardiac safety profiling assay studies.

In vitro modelling of sudden cardiac death by reprogramming deceased patient fibroblasts to cardiac iPSCs. Cardiac safety screening CiPA(Comprehensive invitro Proarrhythmia Assay) using automated and manual patch clamp technique on cardiac iPSC and heterologous expression system. Establishing gene-editing protocol including siRNA and CRISPR-Cas9 based approaches on stem cell culture for diseases modelling.Establishing a stem cell culture laboratory and cell banking facility at the department.Development and validation of stem cell culture reprogramming and differentiation protocols.Other tasks,Lecturer (Medical faculty), Phd Co-Supervisor, Training and management of laboratory technicians, and Scientific communication (publication/presentation).

Member of Hugues Abriel Lab.Understanding the role of TRPM4, a calcium activated non selective cation channel in cardiac channelopathies. • Development and validation of a novel sodium sensitive screening assay for high throughput screening of compounds.• Screening of +500 compounds preselected using Ligand based virtual screening.• Biophysical and pharmacological characterization of cardiac ion channels in heterologous expressed cells and native cardiac myocytes.• Setting up protocol to isolate viable atrial myocytes and sinus cells for immunohistochemistry, western and functional patch clamp studies.• Molecular dissection of calcium activated non-selective current in mouse atrial and ventricular myocytes in wildtype and knockout animals.• Patch clamp studies on iPS (Induced Pluripotent Stem cells) differentiated to human ventricular and atrial myocyte like. Experimental approach : Electrophysiology (inside out, whole cell, perforated configuration) on HEK and isolated mouse myocytes and iPS cells, Mouse myocyte isolation, FLIPR based compound screening.Collaborators: Department of Chemistry and Biology (University of Bern), Transcure Screening facility (University of Bern) and Novartis Screening facility (Basel campus).Other research activities: Reviewer for journals (PLOS one, Cell Physiology and Biochemistry, Journal of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology), Grant writing (Swiss Heart Foundation 2017 and Die Mobiliar Jubilaumsstiftung 2016), Manuscript drafting, Poster presentations, involved in organizing Research's Night 2017 .

Performing high throughput screening of >100K diverse compound library to identify potent and selective inhibitor against calcium activated non-selective cation channel.Validated and upscale our novel sodium assay for high throughput screening of compounds.Project on going in collaboration.

Biophysical and pharmacological characterization of TMEM16B, a calcium activated chloride channel in heterologous expressed in HEK293t.Characterization of biphasic effect of compound Anthracene-9-carboxylic acid on voltage and calcium dependent activation of TMEM16B.Understanding the calcium dependent regulation of chloride current in isolated mouse olfactory neurons.Experimental approach: Electrophysiology, Calcium uncaging coupled patch clamp, construct of plasmid with point mutations, cell culture, isolation of viable mouse olfactory neurons.Other activities: Manuscript writing, presentation oral and poster at international conferences, media communications (lab video), organizing visit to lab for schools and explaining our research, involved in organizing Research's Night 2015.

Screening phytoactivity of different medicinal plants against lifestyle diseases such as diabetes and cardiac disorders.

Studying cardiotoxicity induced by Trisenox, an anti-APL drug used in leukemia patient.