Vanitha Nithianandam
Brookline
Summary
- Molecular and cell biologist with extensive experience in the field of neuroscience, specializing in iPSC-derived models, single-cell RNA sequencing, and proteomics data analysis.
- Proven ability to work independently and collaboratively in multidisciplinary environments.
- Excellent communication and teamwork skills, as evidenced by high-impact peer-reviewed publications, presentations, and awards.
Overview
13
13
years of professional experience
Work History
Postdoctoral researcher
Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School
03.2019 - Current
- Conceptualized and led several multidisciplinary studies to conclusion using human iPSC-derived neurons, mouse, and Drosophila models for an in-depth understanding of the function of disease-related proteins
- Discovered novel pathways involved in neurodegeneration using CRISPR technology and integrative analysis of multiple omics studies such as single-cell RNA sequencing, proteomics, and ubiquitinomics
- Published in high-impact peer-reviewed journals, namely Nature Communications, Genome Research, Scientific Reports, and Human Molecular Genetics.
Graduate Researcher
Academia Sinica, Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology
09.2011 - 06.2018
- Discovered and provided the first evidence for the existence of a dynamic form of neuronal actin in an in-vivo model system and published in the Journal of Cell Biology
- Received multiple national and international awards for finding the dendrite branching mechanism
- Performed a key role in a project that received ~$1.5 million in funding from the Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan.
Education
Ph.D. - Molecular & Cell Biology
Academia Sinica
06.2018
M.Sc. - Microbial Gene Technology
Madurai Kamaraj University
06.2009
B.Sc. - Biotechnology
Bharathiar University
06.2007
Skills
- Induced pluripotent stem cell culture and differentiation
- Single-Cell RNA sequencing
- Proteomics
- Ubiquitinomics
- Confocal microscopy
- Immunofluorescence/ immunohistochemistry
- Advanced Molecular Biology skills
- Mouse stereotactic surgery
- Seahorse cell metabolic analysis
- Western, Northern, and Southern blotting
- RNA and DNA purification
- Real-Time-PCR
- RNAscope
- Drosophila melanogaster Genetics
- Immunoprecipitation
- Mentoring junior staff
- Project Management
- SOPs
Awards
2018 Poster Presentation Award, EMBO Meeting, Taiwan
2017 Travel Award, 18th International Congress of Developmental Biology, Singapore
2016 Oral Presentation Award, Developmental Biology Conference, Taiwan
2011 Taiwan International Graduate Program PhD Scholarship (TIGP-MCB)
2011 Qualified national level competitive exams, including the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering and CSIR-UGC test for Junior research fellowship, India
2008 Indian Academy of Science - Summer Research Fellowship, National Brain Research Centre, India
2007 Qualified national competitive test for Master of Science in Microbial Gene Technology, India
2006 Indian Academy of Science - Summer Research Fellowship, Bose Institute, Kolkata, India
Publications
• Nithianandam, V., Bukhari, H., Leventhal, M. J., Battaglia, R. A., Dong, X., Fraenkel, E., & Feany, M. B. (2023). Integrative analysis reveals a conserved role for the amyloid precursor protein in proteostasis during aging. Nat Commun, 14(1), 7034.
• Bukhari, H., Nithianandam, V., Battaglia, R. A., Cicalo, A., Sarkar, S., Comjean, A., Hu, Y., Leventhal, M. J., Dong, X., & Feany, M. B. (2024). Transcriptional programs mediating neuronal toxicity and altered glial-neuronal signaling in a Drosophila knock-in tauopathy model. Genome Res. 2024.
• Nithianandam, V., Sarkar, S., & Feany, M. B. (2024). Pathways controlling neurotoxicity and proteostasis in mitochondrial complex I deficiency. Hum Mol Genet.
• Torre, M., Bukhari, H., Nithianandam, V., Zanella, C. A., Mata, D. A., & Feany, M. B. (2023). A Drosophila model relevant to chemotherapy-related cognitive impairment. Sci Rep, 13(1), 19290.
• Thamban, T., Sowpati, D. T., Pai, V., Nithianandam, V., Abe, T., Shioi, G., Mishra, R. K., & Khosla, S. (2019). The putative Neuronatin imprint control region is an enhancer that also regulates the Blcap gene. Epigenomics, 11(3), 251-266.
• Nithianandam, V., & Chien, C. T. (2018). Actin blobs prefigure dendrite branching sites. J Cell Biol, 217(10), 3731-3746.
• Nazeen, S., Wang, X., Zielinski, D., Lam, I., Hallacli, E., Xu, P., Ethier, E., Strom, R., Zanella, C. A., Nithianandam, V., Ritter, D., Henderson, A., Saurat, N., Afroz, J., Nutter-Upham, A., Benyamini, H., Copty, J., Ravishankar, S., Morrow, A., . . . Khurana, V. (2024). Deep sequencing of proteotoxicity modifier genes uncovers a Presenilin-2/beta-amyloid-actin genetic risk module shared among alpha-synucleinopathies. bioRxiv.
Leadership and Professional activities
Reviewer, Medicine
Reviewer, Frontiers in Immunology
Reviewer, Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology
Reviewer, Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience
Co-reviewer, Nature Communications
Timeline
Postdoctoral researcher
Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School
03.2019 - Current
Graduate Researcher
Academia Sinica, Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology
09.2011 - 06.2018
Ph.D. - Molecular & Cell Biology
Academia Sinica
M.Sc. - Microbial Gene Technology
Madurai Kamaraj University
B.Sc. - Biotechnology
Bharathiar University
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