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People
Dr. Tamal Das
Principal Investigator and Associate Professor
Email: tdas@tifrh.res.in
Phone: +91 40 20203079
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Academic Qualifications
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Project Leader, Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems (Germany)
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Post Doctorate Research Scientist, Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems (Germany)
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Post Doctorate Research Scientist, Institut du cancer de Montreal (Canada)
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Ph.D, Biotechnology, IIT Kharagpur
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Integrated B.Tech and M.Tech, Biotechnology, IIT Kharagpur
The Team
Post-Doctoral Research Scholars
Rituraj Marwaha
DBT/Wellcome Trust (UK) India Alliance Early Career Fellow
Rituraj completed her Integrated MS-PhD from IISER Mohali. Her Ph.D. work in the laboratory of Dr. Mahak Sharma focused on identifying and characterizing the molecular machinery responsible for the fusion and intracellular movement of the cellular degradation hub, lysosomes. In the Collective Cellular Dynamics laboratory, she investigates lysosome dynamics, function, and inter-organelle interactions during collective cell migration. Apart from her interest in science, she is passionate about drawing and baking.
Vignesh Aravind
Post Doctoral Scholar
Vignesh is a postdoctoral researcher with a PhD in Mechanical Engineering. He specialises in the fascinating field of mechanobiology, an interdisciplinary domain where physics, biology, and engineering converge. His research integrates computer vision, machine learning, and soft physics to investigate how mechanical forces influence biological systems. Outside the lab, he enjoys watching football, exploring science fiction films, and keeping up with the latest innovations in science and technology.
Praver Gupta
Post Doctoral Scholar
Praver completed his Bachelors in Biomedical Sciences from the University of Delhi and his Masters from IISER Mohali, exploring Intron-specific splicing in yeast. As a PhD Scholar in the CCD Lab, he is investigating the mechanical basis of cell competition during epithelial defence against cancer. He is specifically looking at the changes in nuclear mechanics and intermediate filaments as epithelial cells competitively remove oncogenic cells from their niche. Beyond his interest in science, he likes to dance, cook, trek, travel and play badminton.
Simran Rawal
iPhD Research Scholar
Simran received her Bachelors in Life sciences from Sri Venkateswara College, Delhi University. Her interests lie in understanding the physical and biochemical mechanisms regulating cell migration during wound healing. Her current work is focused on how the largest organelle, Endoplasmic Reticulum alters its structure in response to geometrical cues and how it aids in the migration process during epithelial wound closure. Apart from research, she also enjoys dancing, running and cooking.
Sanak Banerjee
PhD Research Scholar
Sanak obtained his Bachelors degree in Zoology and Masters in Biophysics and Molecular Biology from The University of Calcutta. He is interested in understanding the mechanics of multi-layered epithelial systems namely the epidermis and how its architecture is maintained amid continuous turnover. Apart from science, he is passionate about sports, films and cooking.
Doctoral Research Scholars
Aaheli Shee Burman
PhD Research Scholar
Aaheli completed her Bachelors in Microbiology from the University of Calcutta, her Masters in Bioinformatics and Biotechnology from Institute of Bioinformatics and Applied Biotechnology, Bangalore thereafter, joining as a PhD student in the CCD Lab. She studies progressive epithelialization and polarity using otic-epidermal organoids as a model system. In her free time, she finds herself amidst theatre and poetry. She likes caring for animals and also goes swimming when not in the lab.
Padmashree D
PhD Research Scholar
Padmashree did her Bachelors in Microbiology from Ethiraj College for Women. She then moved to the School of Basic Medical Sciences in the University of Madras to obtain her Masters in Biomedical Genetics where she studied the levels of Interleukins in Latent Tuberculosis and Diabetes consortium. She is currently working as a Graduate student to study the role of Intermediate Filaments in Cell Competition. In her free time, she likes to go for a swim or cycling in the outdoors looking for cats while listening to music or just staying indoors finishing a good book and a coffee.
Pratikshya Pattnaik
PhD Research Scholar
Pratikshya completed her Bachelors and Masters in zoology from Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology, Bhubaneshwar. She is interested in understanding how physiological perturbation in tissue microenvironment substantially affects oncogenesis and morphogenesis. Apart from working in the lab she loves painting and reading fiction books.
Shreejit Saha
PhD Research Scholar
Shreejit completed his Bachelors (Hons.) in Microbiology from St. Xavier's College (Autonomous), Kolkata, and a Masters in Medical Biotechnology under DBT at Bharathiar University, Coimbatore, where he studied the anti-cancer effect of benzoyleneurea on STAT3 in HepG2 cells. Passionate about cancer biology and cell signalling, he focuses on transformed epithelial cells which escape EDAC in his current research. Outside the lab, he enjoys playing the piano and going on motorcycle rides in search for good food.
Ashvanth Sridhar
iPhD Research Scholar
Ashvanth obtained his Bachelors degree with honors in Biology from Azim Premji University, where his thesis explored the role of siderophores in heavy metal tolerance in microbial consortia. His current research focuses on understanding the mechanochemical cues that drive spatial patterning of hair follicles during skin development. Outside research, he is passionate about sports and enjoys playing badminton and table tennis.
Research Fellows
Shirshadri Chakraborty
Junior Research Fellow
Shirshadri completed his Bachelors (Hons.) in Life Sciences from Presidency University, Kolkata. For his Masters he joined the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, where he worked on the biochemical and biophysical characterisation of a bacterial cytosolic protein. His current research interests intersect the domains of synthetic and developmental biology. When not working, he enjoys a match of chess, swimming and impromptu movie or dinner plans.
Lab Alumni
Schmidt Science Fellow
Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard
Alumni - PhD
Basil Thurakkal
Science Communicator, Science Media Centre, IISER Pune
Alumni - PhD
Piyush Daga
Alumni - PhD
Satya S. Goutam Buddha
Senior Assistant Manager – Application – Life Science,
Evident Scientific (Olympus)
Alumni - PostDoc
Sanjay Karki
PhD Student, Aix-Marseille Université, France
Alumni - JRF
Soumi Mukherjee
PhD Student, Purdue Univeristy, Indiana, US
Alumni - JRF
Diya Manoj
PhD Student, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Münster
Alumni - JRF
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