Growing up in the serene town of Mayiladuthurai, Tamil Nadu, Supraja was always fascinated by the mysteries of nature. This curiosity led her to pursue an undergrad and master's degree in zoology at Lady Doak College, Madurai. Her academic journey took an exciting turn when she had the opportunity to contribute to research studying dendrite regeneration in C.elegans at the National Brain Research Centre. This experience ignited her passion for understanding animal behaviour and the intricate neural circuits driving it. Now, as a PhD student at NCBS, she is excited to delve deeper into the neural mechanisms underlying spatial memory formation in the hippocampus and motor circuit plasticity. She would like to understand how these circuits are shaped by experience. When she is not playing with our rat buddies, you'll find her enjoying birdwatching, connecting with nature, or engrossed in a captivating novel.

suprajab[at]ncbs[dot]res[dot]in

Vardhamann grew up in Namma Bengaluru and completed his integrated master's at UM-DAE CEBS, Mumbai. His master's thesis focused on exploring patterns in cellular migration across viscotactic gradients. During his time there, Vardhamann worked on a variety of projects, including developing a benchtop colorimeter to analyze active components in turmeric and optimizing small CNC machines for PCB production. His fascination with neuroscience arises from the complex computations that emerge from seemingly stochastic phenomena, and he aims to integrate his experiences in electronics and his passion for computation to develop new tools and methods for understanding neural systems. Outside of research, Vardhamann is an avid enthusiast of 3D printing and electronics and a strong proponent of Freedom-Loving and Open Source Software (FLOSS). He uses EMACS to streamline his workflows. In his leisure time, he enjoys cycling, reading, and spending peaceful evenings immersed in the sounds of nature.

vardhamann[at]ncbs[dot]res[dot]in

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Attar Ushafee grew up in Rajouri, Jammu, and Kashmir and has a bachelor’s degree in science from the Himalayan Degree College Rajouri. He recently finished his master’s in Botany from RIMT University, Punjab. His prior research experiences include various scientific disciplines, such as MSME technology development, cancer biology, and genetic engineering. His prior research experience includes Python-based data analysis at Chinar Quantum AI, where he worked on cancer patient data from the Peer Panchal region. Attar is passionate about cancer biology, brain metastasis, and neural behavior changes. He joins us as a JKS-NCBS winter intern.

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attarushafee[at]gmail[dot]com

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Vaishnavi grew up in Kolhapur, a culturally rich city in Maharashtra, where her early interest in biology took root. This passion led her to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Biotechnology, followed by a Master’s degree in biotechnology from Savitribai Phule Pune University. During her Master’s dissertation in Molecular Neuroscience, she gained hands-on experience in animal handling and molecular biology techniques. Her research in her master's focused on the brain’s reward system, exploring how metabolic states influence neural circuits through epigenetic mechanisms. This work solidified her fascination with the interplay between neuroscience, behavior, and biology, particularly in understanding how environmental and physiological factors shape behavior—a field that drives her academic and professional pursuits. Outside of her research, Vaishnavi enjoys listening to music, sketching, and spending time outdoors, activities that nurture her creativity and provide balance.

vaishnavik[at]ncbs[dot]res[dot]in