Purva

PhD Scholar

Inquisitive and highly motivated graduate student working towards personalized medicine.
Completed M.Tech in Biotechnology & Biochemical Engineering from IIT Kharagpur.
With strong background in biotechnology and hands-on experience in molecular biology techniques, my focus is on evaluating epithelial damage in Human Nose Organoid-Air Liquid Interface model.
Besides donning a sports cap and an avid reader, I love to express myself through dance.
Unraveling the complexity of disease progression through organoid models, so as to devise effective diagnostic and treatment methods is what we at Orgamed Lab are aiming for.

Gayathri R.

PhD Scholar

Gayathri is from a biotechnology background and has worked on various innovative projects in the areas of diagnostic technologies, virology and molecular biology. She has received the UGC Post Graduate Scholarship for Single Girl Child and qualified in national-level examinations such as GATE, UGC NET, and DBT-JRF.

Currently, as a Ph.D. scholar in the Orgamed Lab at the Department of Medical Sciences and Technology, IIT Madras, she is dedicated to translational research, her area of interest. Here, she focuses on uncovering the mechanisms of respiratory viral pathogenesis and developing therapeutic solutions using organoid model systems, aiming to integrate research findings and their clinical applications.
She also explores the world beyond the lab, finds balance and joy engaging in extra-curricular activities, and unwinds to the rhythms of good music.

Aarti Muralitharan

PhD Scholar

Aarti Muralitharan joined the lab in January 2025 as a PhD scholar. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Sciences from the University of Delhi and a Master’s degree in Biotechnology from Bharathidasan University. Before joining IIT Madras, she worked as a Project Associate at the Regional Centre for Biotechnology (RCB), where she gained valuable experience in molecular and cellular biology techniques.

Her research interests lie in understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying human diseases through organoid-based models. She is particularly interested in exploring how these advanced 3D systems can be used to study disease pathogenesis, regenerative medicine, and drug development.

Beyond her academic pursuits, Aarti enjoys playing badminton, immersing herself in K dramas and singing. She has also been formally trained in Carnatic music, which continues to be a meaningful creative outlet for her.

Shashank Arora

Postdoctoral Researcher

I am a passionate molecular biologist and currently a postdoctoral fellow at the Orgamed Lab, IIT Madras. I earned my Ph.D. in Molecular Biology from the Centre for Excellence in Basic Sciences (CEBS), an institute under the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), Government of India. During my doctoral research, I investigated the regulatory mechanisms of FOXJ1, the master transcriptional regulator of the motile ciliogenesis program, uncovering novel insights into cilia-related gene regulation.
At Orgamed Lab, my current work focuses on the Time-Resolved Mapping and Rescue of Ciliary Dysfunction in Human Lung Organoids. This research aims to model and correct ciliary defects using advanced 3D organoid systems, with potential applications in understanding and treating ciliopathies. I qualified the CSIR UGC NET (2018) and GATE (2019, 2021) examinations and was awarded the prestigious DAE Doctoral Fellowship, which funded my Ph.D. for five years.
Outside the lab, I’m an adventurous spirit who enjoys exploring nature and playing football. I believe that a curious mind paired with an active lifestyle is key to creativity and innovation in science.

Pragathi Sneha

Postdoctoral Researcher

I am a bioinformatics postdoc of the Orgamed Lab. I completed my PhD in computational biology at Indian institute of Technology Madras, specialized in investigating transcriptome signatures of Huntington’s disease and Amyotrophic lateral Sclerosis, and building tissue-specific networks to study interactions between differentially expressed genes/therapeutic targets.
My postdoctoral work explores the Orgamed lab’s single-cell and spatial datasets for an exhaustive bioinformatics analyses to uncover novel disease mechanisms and clinically translatable biomarkers. Outside the lab, I like to engage myself in team sports for fitness and enjoy watching movies.

Reetuparna Nanda

PhD Scholar

Reetuparna joined the lab in July 2025 as a PhD scholar. She completed her integrated bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Life Sciences from NIT Rourkela. Prior to joining the lab, she gained research experience at the Sudha Gopalakrishnan Brain Centre, where she worked extensively in understanding the human brain and its anatomy.

Her current research interests focus on understanding the genetic and molecular mechanisms underlying various diseases, with an emphasis on the identification of novel biomarkers. She investigates disease-associated gene alterations and explores how these changes contribute to the broader pathophysiological features of the condition.

Outside the lab, Reetuparna enjoys swimming, painting, and spending time in nature, especially admiring the rich flora and fauna of the IIT Madras campus.

Khadija Rashid

PhD Scholar

Khadija holds a Masters degree in Biotechnology from the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati. Before joining the OrgAMED Lab, she worked as a Research Associate at Invitrogen Biosciences and as a Research assistant at AFMC in Pune.

She’s passionate about contributing to the development of precision medicine by studying the molecular mechanisms that drive diseases and understanding the role of the microbiome in health, disease development and treatment.

Outside of the lab, Khadija loves trying out new dessert recipes, travelling to new destinations or diving into the fictional world through books.

Swathi K

Technical Operator

I hold a Master’s degree in Biotechnology and am currently working as a Technical Operator at IIT Madras, where I am associated with Leica Microsystems under a sponsored role.

My current focus is on advanced instrumentation techniques, particularly operating and supporting users with Ultramicrotomy and EM ICE systems and Confocal Microscopy.

I am deeply interested in expanding my expertise in life sciences technologies, with a goal to continuously train, learn, and master tools that enable high-resolution imaging and molecular-level research.

I am passionate about integrating technical skill with scientific curiosity, and I aim to bridge the gap between instrumentation and biological discovery.

Outside the lab, I enjoy playing tennis, exploring science communication, and engaging with collaborative learning environments that encourage innovation and hands-on growth.

Past Members of Orgamed Lab

Dr. Lawanya Natarajan

Post Doctoral Researcher

Dr. Lawanya Natarajan is a postdoctoral researcher in the OrgAMED lab. She completed her PhD in protein biophysics at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras, focusing on the folding and binding mechanisms of antibiotic-sequestering proteins that contribute to antibiotic resistance.

Beyond her research endeavors, Lawanya enjoys music, art and writing poetry.

Dr. Sumedha Nitin Prabhu

Post Doctoral Researcher

Dr. Sumedha Nitin Prabhu received her B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Biotechnology from the University of Mumbai, India, in 2011 and 2013, respectively. She received a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia, in 2022. Her research and teaching interests include topics like smart Biomedical engineering, cutting-edge teaching and research in Biomed applications, nanomedicine, functionalized biomaterials, smart healthcare miniaturized technologies, and biomedical sensing using MedTech MEMS devices. She enjoys motivating and guiding undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate students in cutting-edge biosensing research. Sumedha aims to attract grant money to the Biomed department and collaborate with international academic and industry partners. She is motivated and targeted toward fabricating novel MEMS-based biosensing devices.

Sumedha completed her first postdoc at the University of Newcastle, Australia, and her second postdoc at the University of Cincinnati, USA.

She has published six journal manuscripts and four book chapters with international publishers. She has presented her work at five international IEEE conferences and two international poster competitions. During her Ph.D. candidature, Sumedha received two People’s Choice Awards and a Silver Award. She was also awarded several prizes and two inter-university competitive grants for her work. Sumedha served as a reviewer for 6 IEEE international conferences. She has reviewed over 170 manuscripts and actively serves as a reviewer for 24 international journals from different peer-reviewed publishers: IEEE, MDPI, PriMera, PeerJ, Qeios, and Springer Nature. She is an Associate Editor for PriMera Scientific Engineering Publications and served as an invited special session chair for two international conferences. She served as an invited special session chair for an international conference and also serving as a guest editor for the MDPI Electronics special session entitled “Biomedical Applications of SmartSensors”.