Shruthi Karnam, PhD
Post-Doctoral Researcher
I did my Postdoctoral Research at Duke University, where I studied the membrane cytoskeletal scaffolding proteins of the ocular lens using genetic mouse models. I obtained my Ph.D. in Biochemistry in 2018 from National Institute of Nutrition, India with focus on using rat models to explore the role of protein quality control mechanisms in neuronal cell death. I joined John Flanagan and Gronert labs in Oct 2020, as a senior postdoctoral fellow. My research interests are to characterize a neuroprotective network in the retina, define its mechanisms of action and explore the efficacy of amplifying the astrocyte lipid circuit as a novel target for preventing or treating glaucoma using an established mouse model of ocular hypertension, primary cell culture of astrocytes, various molecular and lipidomics approaches. In my spare time, I enjoy listening to music, gardening, and traveling.