SLOKA IYENGAR
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      • Ensuring effective collaborations
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      • Capacity building in global health >
        • Capacity building through leadership
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      • Aging and palliative care
      • Neurological disorders
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    • Science advocacy >
      • Advocacy activities
      • ABC newsletters
    • Patient communication and advocacy >
      • Patient communication and advocacy (articles)
    • Science education
    • Awards and professional recognition
  • Dance
    • Dance resume >
      • Pictures and videos
      • Community engagement
      • Arts Administration (Biblioteca Madre)
      • SamyuktaNYC
    • Vichaar >
      • Vichaar: Episode 1 transcript
      • Vichaar: Episode 2 transcript
      • Vichaar: testimonials
      • Saṃbhūya
      • The Artful Mind
      • Exploring Early Brain Development through Science and Dance
      • Guru Vandana
    • Bharatanatyam for creative aging >
      • Bharatanatyam for all
      • Bharatanatyam for all: testimonials
      • Bharatanatyam for all: instructional videos
      • For Seniors, By Seniors >
        • Seniors & Financial Decisions
        • Staying Fit As We Age
        • Signs Your Aging Parent Needs Help
        • Embrace the Empty Nest
        • Empty Nesters Seeking Proximity to Their Children
        • The Bumps of a Midlife Crisis
        • Healthy Living for Seniors
        • Forging a Resilient Future
        • Beyond Medicare and Social Security
        • Seniors Living Independently
        • A Harmonious Multigenerational Household
        • Mental Health Boosts
        • Start Your Home-Based Business After Retirement
        • Reclaiming Mental Wellness

Sloka Iyengar, PhD
Scientist, ​Dancer 
 

Top image (photo credit): Grammy award-winning photographer Melanie Futorian in Inwood, NYC

WELCOME TO MY WEBSITE!

Short bio
My name is Sloka (pronounced "Shloka").
I am a neuroscientist and Bharatanatyam dancer, passionate about relieving suffering through the scienc
es and the arts. Through the fusion of scientific inquiry and artistic expression, I strive to enhance well-being across diverse communities. 
Long bio
I have always been fascinated by the brain as the organ that controls all that we sense, feel, and do. During my work at a spay-and-neuter shelter in Ahmedabad called the Animal Help Foundation, I used to observe my beloved dogs, cats, monkeys, owls, and raptors, and this fascination took a keener form which led me to pursue graduate studies in neuroscience. For my Ph.D. and postdoctoral work, I examined neuronal circuits that lead to the generation and propagation of epileptic seizures. Wanting to use my scientific training for more direct public impact, I worked with adults and children with refractory epilepsies to develop more effective therapeutic strategies. Currently, I work in the areas of the epilepsies, palliative care, mental health, and homelessness. I am also a science educator, and share my love for science at the American Museum of Natural History and St. Joseph's University. 

As a Bharatanatyam performer and practitioner, I continue my learning from my gurus at Nritya Kala Kendra, Ahmedabad. I have created productions that explore the points of convergence between dance and neuroscience.  I am passionate about using Bharatanatyam to facilitate creative aging, and have been awarded fellowships and grants from organizations such as the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council (LMCC) and the New York Public Library to bring creative aging to NYC's older adults! ​

ON MY MIND.. 

Science 

Doctoral and postdoctoral work in neuroscience (epilepsy)
International
 Science consultant 
  • Scientist and project manager with extensive experience in basic and clinical research (more here).        
  • Science consultant for Citizens' United for Research in Epilepsy
  • (Past) Associate Medical Director at Phase Five Communications. 
Science educator
  • Course Scientist (Neuroscience, Evolution) at The American Museum of Natural History. 
  • Adjunct professor at St. Joseph's University. 
Science writer for professional and lay audiences. 
Science advocate who has met with Congressional representatives and staffers to support neuroscience research.
(Former) Program director at The Bronx Community Foundation. 

Dance

  • Continuing my dance training with Nritya Kala Kendra, Ahmedabad with my gurus, music training with Smt. Nivedita Shivraj, and Sanskrit learning with Sri. Vasudeva at the Bhakti Center. 
  • Award-winning Bharatanatyam practitioner and performer with more than 25 years of experience in India and the United States.  
  • Creating and publishing works on Bharatanatyam for creative aging.  
  • Curating works that explore the convergence between neuroscience and Bharatanatyam. 
Last updated: May 15, 2025
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  • About me
    • Profile
    • Service
    • Invited talks and interviews
    • Continuing education
    • Upcoming Public Events
    • Publications
    • Contact me >
      • Ensuring effective collaborations
  • Science
    • Science consulting
    • Global health >
      • Capacity building in global health >
        • Capacity building through leadership
        • Disaster relief
      • Mental health
      • Aging and palliative care
      • Neurological disorders
    • Clinical science
    • Preclinical science
    • Science advocacy >
      • Advocacy activities
      • ABC newsletters
    • Patient communication and advocacy >
      • Patient communication and advocacy (articles)
    • Science education
    • Awards and professional recognition
  • Dance
    • Dance resume >
      • Pictures and videos
      • Community engagement
      • Arts Administration (Biblioteca Madre)
      • SamyuktaNYC
    • Vichaar >
      • Vichaar: Episode 1 transcript
      • Vichaar: Episode 2 transcript
      • Vichaar: testimonials
      • Saṃbhūya
      • The Artful Mind
      • Exploring Early Brain Development through Science and Dance
      • Guru Vandana
    • Bharatanatyam for creative aging >
      • Bharatanatyam for all
      • Bharatanatyam for all: testimonials
      • Bharatanatyam for all: instructional videos
      • For Seniors, By Seniors >
        • Seniors & Financial Decisions
        • Staying Fit As We Age
        • Signs Your Aging Parent Needs Help
        • Embrace the Empty Nest
        • Empty Nesters Seeking Proximity to Their Children
        • The Bumps of a Midlife Crisis
        • Healthy Living for Seniors
        • Forging a Resilient Future
        • Beyond Medicare and Social Security
        • Seniors Living Independently
        • A Harmonious Multigenerational Household
        • Mental Health Boosts
        • Start Your Home-Based Business After Retirement
        • Reclaiming Mental Wellness