I received my undergraduate degree in Industrial Biotechnology from Anna University, India. For my Ph.D. training, I moved to the University of California, Davis to work in the lab of Prof.Jonathan Scholey. After completion of my Ph.D., I moved to the University of California, San Diego to pursue my postdoctoral studies with Prof. Arshad Desai. Since May 2018, I am a Henry Dale Fellow at the Wellcome Centre for Cell Biology & Institute of Cell Biology.

https://cheerambathurlab.co.uk/

• Molecular mechanisms underlying the formation of neural circuits.

• Role of microtubule-associated proteins during neurodevelopment.

A human brain with ~86.1 billion neurons forms ~100 trillion connections whereas a simple multicellular organism such as the nematode, C. elegans with 302 neurons establishes ~7000 connections. Building this intricate neural network in an orderly and functional manner is essential to the development and function of an organism. The molecular mechanisms that create and maintain the neural circuits are poorly understood. Microtubules, alpha, and beta-tubulin polymers are critical structural components of neurons. Several microtubule-related proteins are linked to mutations in neurological and neurodevelopment disorders. Despite the central role of the microtubule in the neurons, little is known about the function of the microtubule cytoskeleton in sculpting the neural circuits. My research aims to gain a detailed mechanistic understanding of how the microtubule cytoskeleton builds and maintains the neuronal circuitry.