What is your current role? Tell us a bit about your research
I am pursuing a PhD in the field of Cell and Developmental biology at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research-Mumbai, India. I am looking at how communities of cells communicate amongst themselves within tissue and with other cells in neighbouring tissues to facilitate alterations in their mechanical landscape to drive coordinated collective movement during fruit fly embryogenesis.
I am also working as Policy Associate at the Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA), where we work towards improving research culture by promoting and fostering responsible research evaluation practices.
Why did you choose to participate in the ASAPbio Fellows program?
I always love talking and thinking about how to motivate more people in the scientific community to take the preprint pathway. While awareness is growing, there is still a lack of solid supportive frameworks that value and recognize preprints. I have joined the ASAPbio Fellows program with the aim to learn more about the current preprint scenario, what the possibilities are, and to find different ways to contribute to building a preprint model more robust and sustainable. I am also excited to meet and work together with other like-minded people in the community.?
What are you excited about in science communication?
Science communication gives us a great opportunity to get diverse multidisciplinary perspectives and feedback on our own work. This aspect of science communication has long captivated and motivated me to share my work on various platforms more often. Moreover, this is a great way to be open, transparent, and accountable for our research. Additionally, I am fascinated by its capacity to reach a broad audience through straightforward and comprehensible language, enhancing the impact of research.
Ask me about…
I talk a lot (generally :D) and particularly on topics that span from cell biology, tissue engineering, organ development, Open Science, responsible evaluation practices and research culture, mental health in academia to traveling, art, food, books, etc.