My increased curiosity for how the brain works has brought me to where I am in my life today. I am from New Delhi, India, and I completed my first and second degrees in physics at the University of Delhi. My family lives in New Delhi, India. My father is a cab driver at the Delhi International Airport and my mother is a housewife. We are four siblings. My younger sister is also in Israel, pursuing her Ph.D. in biochemistry at The Weizmann Institute. My two older brothers work in travel companies in New Delhi.
During my studies, I was introduced to biophysics and complex biological systems, and I became increasingly curious about how the brain works. This drove me to further want to develop my research and education and so I decided to pursue a Ph.D. in neuroscience. I applied to ELSC and fortunately got selected.
Once I was introduced to neuroscience, I became curious if an analogy exists between the mysterious universe and the human brain. I feel closer to neuroscience because I see everyday examples of human behavior or animal behavior. The beauty of neuroscience is that the more you begin to understand a certain level of the brain functionality, the more complex it starts to get. I am glad to be a part of this amazing and growing field that is continuing to solve the puzzle of the brain.
This is the fourth year of my doctoral studies, which I am pursuing in the lab of Prof. Israel Nelken. The lab investigates auditory information processing in the mammalian brain. In general, I love my research and I am always curious to know how things work. Our lab is studying the mammalian auditory system. It is obvious that we all hear and respond to what we hear, but it is very fascinating to look into the activity of the brain and how one brain region is communicates with another. I study the response of mice to music both behaviorally and physiologically. This is the most exciting part of my research! To understand how mice respond to human music — do they enjoy it as much as we do? and what happens in the brain of mice if they like the music?
Due to financial difficulties at home, I have had to work hard in order to get scholarships for my university studies. This determination to further pursue my studies and work hard to get to where I am today makes me a stronger person and a scientist that is willing to do all that it takes.
I live on campus in the university dormitories close to the ELSC building. The beauty of the campus has helped me a lot during the hard times of the COVID-19 lockdown. I like doing yoga and meditation on the grass and walking around the campus, and as I am physicist, I love the night sky.
I am now on a new journey of my life – both personally and professionally. This opportunity has given me the wings to fly high and fulfill my dreams. My goal is to do remarkable science and help humanity. नमस्ते
🙏 (Namaste)
