Top image: At the International Conferences on Epilepsy and Treatment in Baltimore, MD
Recent invited talks and interviews:
5/2023: Invited as a panelist at the New York Hall of Science at its STEM Career Expo on "The arts in STEM matters".
5/2023: Interviewed by The Ampersand Manifesto - a podcast and way to highlight people straddling two different professional worlds. You can find my interview podcast here and more details here.
4/2023: Featured in this interview through Finding Humans in Tech. I talk about my journey and my influences; a synopsis of this interview is below: The Sabarmati River in Western India has seen many significant historical events and is the location of Mahatma Gandhi’s ashram from where he fought for India’s independence. This historical place has birthed many influential figures that have come and changed the world in their unique way. And this remarkable story is a journey of a mother and a daughter who personify what their hometown represents to the world." A video snippet of this interview can be found here.
4/2023: "Bharatanatyam meets Neuroscience". The session will involve a brief introduction to the idea of ‘Bharatanatyam meets Neuroscience’. I will discuss the important aspects of my production ‘Vichaar’, which in Sanskrit means ‘thought, a perception, a reflection, or a contemplation’ and highlight the convergence of creative forces and brain complexity. The session will be interactive throughout and is for scientists, artists, enthusiasts, and all curious folks. Participants are encouraged to bring questions and observations to contribute to this exciting discipline and convergence. This webinar is in collaboration with The Experimentalist.
3/2023: Facilitating the Healthy Living session for the Life Skills Empowerment Program; a faith-based program that pairs homeless individuals with community partners in congregations to help them navigate homelessness, and facilitate getting into a home. The program is done by the Interfaith Assembly On Homelessness and Housing.
3/2023: Giving a talk entitled "Brain Plasticity as we Age" to participants as part of Coming of Age. In their words, Coming of Age "helps the ever-growing number of adults age 50+ rediscover their best selves. We help people aged 50 and older live with passion and purpose. As a leader in the positive aging movement, Coming of Age offers a pathway to live bolder, wiser, and with more resilience in this stage of life. We hold virtual special events for free or at nominal cost and offer a monthly newsletter." A recording of the webinar "Brain Plasticity as we Age" can be found here.
3/2023: Facilitating a "Monday Member Mashup: Dancers & Musicians" for the National Organization for Arts in Health (NOAH).
3/2023: A presentation entitled "Evidence-based dance programming for veterans with PTSD and/or TBI" to inform programming at comMotion. comMotion builds community and improves well-being through adaptive and inclusive movement.
12/2022: "Exploring caregiving and the connection to your child’s brain"; a talk about caregiving at the Early Childhood Center at Lenox Hill Neighborhood House.
11/2022: "If Not Us, Then Who? The Arts, Healthcare & Wellbeing". A panel discussion with Hidden Truths Project's founder Dr. Julie Thompson-Dobkin and Cynthia Perlis, director of the UCSF Art for Recovery program. More about this event can be found here, and its recording can be found here.
10/2022: Dance as Medicine: The Science and Practice of Sloka Iyengar; Workshop, Public Program as part of The Creative Center Training Institute.
10/2022: Invited to speak about dance and science at the STEMPeers Conference in Philadelphia. This performance with Dr. Vikram Gadagkar is entitled "The song and dance of neurons". This work was highlighted by Stem Advocacy Institute; the recording can be found here.
10/2022: Invited to speak about scientific communication as an alternative career at the STEMPeers Conference in Philadelphia entitled "Meet our storytellers! Science Communication and more." The conference was covered by Stem Advocacy Institute; the recording can be found here.
10/2022: Invited to speak at the Stimson Center about mental health in the workplace. The Center "engages new voices, generates innovative ideas and analysis, and builds solutions to promote international security, prosperity, and justice." “I will talk about stress and the importance of mental health in the workplace, approaching the discussion from the neuroscience perspective. I will also discuss the long-term effects of stress on the brain/brain chemistry and how that can affect the work environment. The talk is entitled " Stress and mental health in the workplace: a neuroscientific perspective."
09/2022: Moderated a session entitled "An Introduction to Spatial Statistics with Applications to Disease Mapping" with the Committee on International Relations in Statistics (CIRS) as part of its webinar series.
09/2022: Keynote speaker; The Power of Early Brain Development'; at the Parents as Teachers International Conference in Denver, Colorado. Keeping in line with the theme of Vichaar, I used neuroscience and Bharatanatyam to talk about early childhood development. A writeup of the conference along with my presentation can be found here. The recording of the presentation is here, and here is the outreach made by ReadyNation through its channels. This invitation came through ReadyNation Brain Sciences Speaker Bureau.
08/2022: Moderated a panel for Statistics without Borders (SWB) for its Open Online Statistics Courses.
08/2022: Presenting Statistics without Borders (SWB)'s annual meeting to appraise existing and new members on the progress made at SWB in the last year. A recording of the meeting can be found here.
07/2022: Moderating a session on the mental health impacts of violence against women as part of the mental health sub-working group of WCAPS along with the Latin American & Caribbean Region working group.
06/2022: Moderated a session on inter-country perspectives in palliative care along with Public Health Literacy (PHL).
03/2022: A lecture/demonstration to students of arts and humanities at the Shands Arts in Medicine at University of Florida on Bharatanatyam and health.
03/2022: For Brain Awareness Week 2022, I moderated a session with Beyond Conflict on the neuroscience of trauma and chronic stress. The recording of the session can be found here.
02/2022: 'The Power of Early Brain Development'; at the Denver Metro Specialized Education Support for Parents.
12/2021: 'The epilepsies: an introduction'; a winter camp for young students as part of University of Texas Winter Camp on Neuroscience & Cognitive Behavior.
11/2021: At the International Webinar on Social Determinants of Health and Health Seeking Behaviour towards Health Equity, I spoke about the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on widows, and the need to study health-seeking behaviors in this population.
06/2021: Invited to speak at the 7th Foundation of CHD India Group on the theme of "Reclaiming gains to accelerate global health." I gave a talk on the "US Impact from COVID-19 and the road ahead for sustainable development". The event was featured in The Mangalorean, and can be found here.
04/2021: 'Scientists with multidisciplinary roles in STEM', Cambridge Science Festival.
03/2021: 'The epilepsies: pathophysiology and research' to Masters students at Nirma University, Ahmedabad.
12/2020: 'The epilepsies: an introduction'; a winter camp for young students as part of University of Texas Winter Camp on Neuroscience & Cognitive Behavior.
10/2020: 'Preclinical and clinical epilepsy research'. Seminar for volunteers at The American Museum of Natural History.
10/2020: Readynation Speaker for 'Child Care: An Essential Part of Workforce Infrastructure for Otsego County'. A writeup of this event entitled "Child Care: An Essential Part of Workforce Infrastructure for Otsego County" can be found here.
07/2020: Panelist for 'Career Paths to Becoming a Director in a Biotech Company' organized by Scismic and The Social Scientist.
06/2020: Featured on The Zag where I talk about the importance of science, and translating science into a force for progressive public good.
04/2020: 'Tap into Your Resilience & Unlock Your Potential': a virtual sip-and-learn to help participants to tap into their innate resilience and help bounce back from the adversity of COVID-19.
04/2020: Virtual STEAM Mentor Meet-up at the Intrepid Museum.
04/2020: ‘The science of COVID-19’ ; Karabots Fellows Program, Mutter Museum; Philadelphia PA.
5/2023: Invited as a panelist at the New York Hall of Science at its STEM Career Expo on "The arts in STEM matters".
5/2023: Interviewed by The Ampersand Manifesto - a podcast and way to highlight people straddling two different professional worlds. You can find my interview podcast here and more details here.
4/2023: Featured in this interview through Finding Humans in Tech. I talk about my journey and my influences; a synopsis of this interview is below: The Sabarmati River in Western India has seen many significant historical events and is the location of Mahatma Gandhi’s ashram from where he fought for India’s independence. This historical place has birthed many influential figures that have come and changed the world in their unique way. And this remarkable story is a journey of a mother and a daughter who personify what their hometown represents to the world." A video snippet of this interview can be found here.
4/2023: "Bharatanatyam meets Neuroscience". The session will involve a brief introduction to the idea of ‘Bharatanatyam meets Neuroscience’. I will discuss the important aspects of my production ‘Vichaar’, which in Sanskrit means ‘thought, a perception, a reflection, or a contemplation’ and highlight the convergence of creative forces and brain complexity. The session will be interactive throughout and is for scientists, artists, enthusiasts, and all curious folks. Participants are encouraged to bring questions and observations to contribute to this exciting discipline and convergence. This webinar is in collaboration with The Experimentalist.
3/2023: Facilitating the Healthy Living session for the Life Skills Empowerment Program; a faith-based program that pairs homeless individuals with community partners in congregations to help them navigate homelessness, and facilitate getting into a home. The program is done by the Interfaith Assembly On Homelessness and Housing.
3/2023: Giving a talk entitled "Brain Plasticity as we Age" to participants as part of Coming of Age. In their words, Coming of Age "helps the ever-growing number of adults age 50+ rediscover their best selves. We help people aged 50 and older live with passion and purpose. As a leader in the positive aging movement, Coming of Age offers a pathway to live bolder, wiser, and with more resilience in this stage of life. We hold virtual special events for free or at nominal cost and offer a monthly newsletter." A recording of the webinar "Brain Plasticity as we Age" can be found here.
3/2023: Facilitating a "Monday Member Mashup: Dancers & Musicians" for the National Organization for Arts in Health (NOAH).
3/2023: A presentation entitled "Evidence-based dance programming for veterans with PTSD and/or TBI" to inform programming at comMotion. comMotion builds community and improves well-being through adaptive and inclusive movement.
12/2022: "Exploring caregiving and the connection to your child’s brain"; a talk about caregiving at the Early Childhood Center at Lenox Hill Neighborhood House.
11/2022: "If Not Us, Then Who? The Arts, Healthcare & Wellbeing". A panel discussion with Hidden Truths Project's founder Dr. Julie Thompson-Dobkin and Cynthia Perlis, director of the UCSF Art for Recovery program. More about this event can be found here, and its recording can be found here.
10/2022: Dance as Medicine: The Science and Practice of Sloka Iyengar; Workshop, Public Program as part of The Creative Center Training Institute.
10/2022: Invited to speak about dance and science at the STEMPeers Conference in Philadelphia. This performance with Dr. Vikram Gadagkar is entitled "The song and dance of neurons". This work was highlighted by Stem Advocacy Institute; the recording can be found here.
10/2022: Invited to speak about scientific communication as an alternative career at the STEMPeers Conference in Philadelphia entitled "Meet our storytellers! Science Communication and more." The conference was covered by Stem Advocacy Institute; the recording can be found here.
10/2022: Invited to speak at the Stimson Center about mental health in the workplace. The Center "engages new voices, generates innovative ideas and analysis, and builds solutions to promote international security, prosperity, and justice." “I will talk about stress and the importance of mental health in the workplace, approaching the discussion from the neuroscience perspective. I will also discuss the long-term effects of stress on the brain/brain chemistry and how that can affect the work environment. The talk is entitled " Stress and mental health in the workplace: a neuroscientific perspective."
09/2022: Moderated a session entitled "An Introduction to Spatial Statistics with Applications to Disease Mapping" with the Committee on International Relations in Statistics (CIRS) as part of its webinar series.
09/2022: Keynote speaker; The Power of Early Brain Development'; at the Parents as Teachers International Conference in Denver, Colorado. Keeping in line with the theme of Vichaar, I used neuroscience and Bharatanatyam to talk about early childhood development. A writeup of the conference along with my presentation can be found here. The recording of the presentation is here, and here is the outreach made by ReadyNation through its channels. This invitation came through ReadyNation Brain Sciences Speaker Bureau.
08/2022: Moderated a panel for Statistics without Borders (SWB) for its Open Online Statistics Courses.
08/2022: Presenting Statistics without Borders (SWB)'s annual meeting to appraise existing and new members on the progress made at SWB in the last year. A recording of the meeting can be found here.
07/2022: Moderating a session on the mental health impacts of violence against women as part of the mental health sub-working group of WCAPS along with the Latin American & Caribbean Region working group.
06/2022: Moderated a session on inter-country perspectives in palliative care along with Public Health Literacy (PHL).
- 04/2022: Vichaar was featured in the Garnet Microscope - University of South Carolina School of Medicine's newsletter.
03/2022: A lecture/demonstration to students of arts and humanities at the Shands Arts in Medicine at University of Florida on Bharatanatyam and health.
03/2022: For Brain Awareness Week 2022, I moderated a session with Beyond Conflict on the neuroscience of trauma and chronic stress. The recording of the session can be found here.
02/2022: 'The Power of Early Brain Development'; at the Denver Metro Specialized Education Support for Parents.
12/2021: 'The epilepsies: an introduction'; a winter camp for young students as part of University of Texas Winter Camp on Neuroscience & Cognitive Behavior.
11/2021: At the International Webinar on Social Determinants of Health and Health Seeking Behaviour towards Health Equity, I spoke about the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on widows, and the need to study health-seeking behaviors in this population.
06/2021: Invited to speak at the 7th Foundation of CHD India Group on the theme of "Reclaiming gains to accelerate global health." I gave a talk on the "US Impact from COVID-19 and the road ahead for sustainable development". The event was featured in The Mangalorean, and can be found here.
04/2021: 'Scientists with multidisciplinary roles in STEM', Cambridge Science Festival.
03/2021: 'The epilepsies: pathophysiology and research' to Masters students at Nirma University, Ahmedabad.
12/2020: 'The epilepsies: an introduction'; a winter camp for young students as part of University of Texas Winter Camp on Neuroscience & Cognitive Behavior.
10/2020: 'Preclinical and clinical epilepsy research'. Seminar for volunteers at The American Museum of Natural History.
10/2020: Readynation Speaker for 'Child Care: An Essential Part of Workforce Infrastructure for Otsego County'. A writeup of this event entitled "Child Care: An Essential Part of Workforce Infrastructure for Otsego County" can be found here.
07/2020: Panelist for 'Career Paths to Becoming a Director in a Biotech Company' organized by Scismic and The Social Scientist.
06/2020: Featured on The Zag where I talk about the importance of science, and translating science into a force for progressive public good.
04/2020: 'Tap into Your Resilience & Unlock Your Potential': a virtual sip-and-learn to help participants to tap into their innate resilience and help bounce back from the adversity of COVID-19.
04/2020: Virtual STEAM Mentor Meet-up at the Intrepid Museum.
04/2020: ‘The science of COVID-19’ ; Karabots Fellows Program, Mutter Museum; Philadelphia PA.
12/2019: Featured in an interview on IIE-SRF Partnerships for Scholar Advancement (PSA) with another advisor Florence Chaverneff.
08/2019: ‘Defeating Diseases Through Knowledge of Evolution’ ; Karabots Fellows Program, Mutter Museum; Philadelphia PA.
08/2019: ‘Defeating Diseases Through Knowledge of Evolution’ ; Karabots Fellows Program, Mutter Museum; Philadelphia PA.
- 12/2018: 'Exploring careers in STEM' at the Baruch STEP Academy (link here). These talks are designed to introduce the students to the various employment opportunities in the Science Technology Engineering Math (STEM) professions, to enable them in making informed decisions regarding their own future career choices.
- 11/2018: Invited panelist for iNET NYC titled 'Non-Academic Career Tracks for International Scientists'.
11/2018: Speed networking at the NYU School of Medicine to share my journey from academia to medical communications. - 10/2018: Invited speaker, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai; Graduate School Careers in Science (GSCS).
- Featured on the Incubator blog as part of Scientists of NY (SoNY); an endeavor of the Rockefeller University.
- Featured on The Interview Portal: a site for offbeat, unusual, unconventional, and interesting career interviews.
- 11/2017: 'Exploring Neuroscience'; Karabots Fellows Program, Mutter Museum; PA.
- 11/2017: 'An update on Gates Foundation grant ideas'; Boston Strategic Partners.
- 09/2017: 'Developing a Strategy for Translational Epilepsy Research'; Boston Strategic Partners.
- 04/2017: 'Precision medicine: an overview'; Boston Strategic Partners.
- 07/2016: 'Precision medicine in Oncology'; McCann Medical Group, Inc.
- 04/2016: I spoke at Storycollider, at Union Hall, about my experience of sacrificing rats in the lab for the first time after working at an animal shelter in Ahmedabad, India. You can find the recording here.
- 02/2016: Guest speaker for ‘Science and Human Rights’ hosted by NYU's Society for Undergraduate Neural Science.
- 01/2016: Webinar entitled ‘Becoming an Early Career Ambassador’ hosted by the Society for Neuroscience.
- 11/2015: ‘Basic mechanisms of epilepsy’ ; Ahmedabad Neurological Association, Ahmedabad, India.
- 09/2015: ‘Synaptic plasticity in epilepsy’ ; International Conferences on Epilepsy and Treatment, Baltimore, MD. Click here for the abstract.
- 11/2014: 'Synaptic plasticity in epilepsy'; Queens College, NY (link here).
- 08/2014: ‘Anatomy of the Nervous System and Neuronal Physiology’ ; Camp Neuro, NY.
- 05/2014: ‘The biology of seizures - Understanding Epilepsy’ ; Rockefeller University, NY.
- 04/2014: Suppression of adult neurogenesis in mice increases susceptibility to seizures’; NYU Neuroscience Retreat, NY.
07/2013: ‘Understanding epilepsy’; Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, NY.
03/2012: Reduction of adult neurogenesis increases susceptibility to seizures caused by kainic acid’; New York University, NY.
11/2011: ‘Exacerbation of seizures caused by a reduction of adult neurogenesis’; Columbia University, NY.
03/2010: ‘Regulation of synaptic plasticity in temporal lobe epilepsy’; Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, NY.
12/2009: ‘Differential regulation of synaptic plasticity in epilepsy’; University of Texas, Austin.
05/2008: ‘Changes in neuregulin signaling during development of epilepsy’ ; University of South Carolina.
03/2008: ‘Changes in NRG/ErbB regulation of synaptic plasticity following status epilepticus’ ; Georgia/South Carolina Research Consortium.
03/2008: ‘Changes in NRG/ErbB regulation of synaptic plasticity following status epilepticus’ ; Georgia/South Carolina Research Consortium.
07/2007: ‘Therapies for epilepsy’ ; Columbia College, South Carolina.
03/2007: ‘Novel therapies for epilepsy" ; University of South Carolina.
03/2007: ‘Novel therapies for epilepsy" ; University of South Carolina.
Contact me if you would like to inquire about speaking at your event. My areas of expertise are:
- STEM education
- Non-academic careers after PhD
- The use of arts to promote positive mental health
- Epilepsy and other neurological disorders
- Writing for patients and caregivers
- Using science to create a just, equitable world
- Leadership and science
- The intersection of arts and sciences
- Bharatanatyam for creative aging