I worked to characterize the biochemical mechanism behind Wolbachia-induced drive system named Cytoplasmic Incompatibility (CI). CI is currently at the forefront of approaches targeting insect pest populations and mosquito-borne viral diseases.• Dissected cell biology of Drosophila and mosquito spermatogenesis to assess sperm chromatin integrity• Performed immunocytochemistry and imaging of whole-mount tissues using confocal and super-resolution microscopy• Developed molecular, cytological and biochemical assays to detect sperm DNA fragmentation• Characterized chromatin modifications with the approach of chemical engineering• Optimized recombinant protein purification to assess protein activity in-vitro deubiquitination assays• Mentored undergraduate, graduate students and technical personnel, managed a team of 10 people, developed and wrote protocols, project reports and grants, science outreach, Girl STEM volunteer and built collaborations

I worked to understand the mechanism behind antiviral immunity in insects. My goal was to identify the most relevant factors contributing to viral pathogenesis to help control insect-borne diseases, i.e. Dengue, Zika, etc.• Microinjected embryos and adult Drosophila flies• Generated transgenic fly lines and performed GFP-reporter assays• Immunocytochemistry and imaging of cells using confocal microscopy• CRISPR-Cas9, conditional mutagenesis gene-editing technique to generate null mutants • Engaged with NGS sequencing platforms including Illumina sequencing

• Studied the role of intracellular bacteria in host-microbe symbiotic systems• Managed laboratory functions including organization, ordering and scheduling equipment use• Trained new students and employees• Invited speaker at International congress of Entomology, Florida, USA

· Studied biological interactions between insects (Drosophila), bacteria (Wolbachia) and viruses.· Developed imaging protocol to localize bacteria and viruses inside host tissues· Published six research papers in international, peer-reviewed journals and three more in preparation· Developed excellent communication skills by attending and winning awards in International conferences and Science communication competitions· Got proficient in project management skills, design, and execution of experiments and troubleshooting

I worked in close collaboration with Dr. Frank Jiggins at Department of Genetics to study Wolbachia mediated protection against RNA viruses in Drosophila

• Acquired skills in functional genomics, DNA/RNA extraction, cDNA library, Real-time qPCR, in vitro culturing to study the reproductive biology of mammals• Used bioinformatics tools to characterize genetic diversity of Jammu & Kashmir cattle breed• Co-authored one research paper, published a book chapter and two technical reports