Using a combination of genetics, molecular biology and genomics in the model system Caenorhabditis elegans, my laboratory is trying to decipher signalling events that culminate in alterations in gene expression during aging. Dietary Restriction (DR) is the only non-genetic intervention that increases life span and delays age-onset diseases across species. We are trying to decode the molecular events that follow the initiation of DR. We are studying the complex interplay of kinases, transcription factors and co-regulators downstream of the nutrient sensing pathways that control longevity, metabolism, stress- and pathogen resistance. We are trying to understand how organisms respond genetically as well as metabolically to food with different micro-nutrient content. We are also trying to reprofile FDA-approved drugs to treat diabetes-related complications. My lab is also interested in finding the connections between nutrient signaling and the innate immune activation. Apart from this, we have recently become interested in understanding the signaling cross-talk between somatic tissues and the germ cells during DNA damage response, in an effort to understand reproductive aging. All this work, we carry out using fruitful collaborations where required.\r\n\r\nMy current designation is Staff Scientist VI at the National Institute of Immunology (NII), New Delhi. I completed my BSc (Botany, 1995, Presidency College Calcutta), MSc (1997) and PhD (2003) in Plant Molecular Biology from Delhi University South Campus followed by a postdoctoral stint (2003-2008) at UMASS Medical school, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA. Since 2009, my lab at NII has been studying various molecular mechanisms of aging and longevity assurance using Caenorhabditis elegans as the model system. I am an elected fellow of the Indian National Science Academy (INSA), the National Academy of Science, India (NASI) and Guha Research Conference Society. I am a recipient of the Ramalingaswami Re-entry Fellowship (2009-2014), National Bioscience Award for Career Development (2016) and SERB-Science Technology Award for Research (STAR) award (2019).