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Senior Technical Officer - A (Hardware and Data Management) kshankarachary@gmail.com Back Back to People Page Back MRI/EEG Team K Shankarachary Senior Technical Officer - A (Hardware and Data Management) CBM

Clinical Group Genetics and Stem Cell Group Endophenotype Group Endophenotypes are measurable and heritable traits or behaviors linked to a disorder, that sit between the genetic factors and the observable symptoms of the condition. Psychiatric disorders are increasingly viewed as neurodevelopmental disorders, which are influenced by genetic, epigenetic & environmental factors. These clues offer insights into genetic underpinnings of these disorders. Utilising endophenotypes derived from various assessments like neuroimaging can enhance the reliability of research on brain function. Dr. John P. John Professor, Department of Psychiatry Dr. Venkatasubramanian Ganesan Professor, Department of Psychiatry Dr. Jitender Saini Professor, Department of Neuro Imaging & Interventional Radiology Dr Bharath Holla Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry Dr. Sreeraj V S Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry Affiliated Labs and Centre ADBS Neuroimaging Centre (ANC) Centre for Brain Mapping (CBM) Translational Psychiatry Lab (TransPsych) Multi-modal Brain Imaging Analysis Lab (MBIAL) Facilities Eye Tracking Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) MRI Scanner Philips Ingenia 3.0T CX MRI EEG Featured Publications Parekh P, Vivek Bhalerao G; ADBS consortium, John JP, Venkatasubramanian G. Sample size requirement for achieving multisite harmonization using structural brain MRI features. Neuroimage. 2022;264:119768. doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.119768 Lakkireddy SP, Balachander S, Dayalamurthy P, et al. Neurocognition and its association with adverse childhood experiences and familial risk of mental illness. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry. 2022;119:110620. doi:10.1016/j.pnpbp.2022.110620 Bhalerao GV, Parekh P, Saini J, Venkatasubramanian G, John JP; ADBS consortium. Systematic evaluation of the impact of defacing on quality and volumetric assessments on T1-weighted MR-images. J Neuroradiol. 2022;49(3):250-257. doi:10.1016/j.neurad.2021.03.001 Parekh P, Bhalerao GV, Rao R, et al. Protocol for magnetic resonance imaging acquisition, quality assurance, and quality check for the Accelerator program for Discovery in Brain disorders using Stem cells. Int J Methods Psychiatr Res. 2021;30(3):e1871. doi:10.1002/mpr.1871 Holla B, Dayal P, Das A, et al. Transdiagnostic neurocognitive endophenotypes in major psychiatric illness. medRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory). February 2020. doi:10.1101/2020.02.14.20022863

Clinical Psychologist (Research) Back Back to People Page Back Clinical Team, Doctoral Candidate Gopika Jayaraj Clinical Psychologist (Research) CBM

Research Nurse nawazpashakgn7@gmail.com Back Back to People Page Back Lab Team Nawaz Pasha Research Nurse CBM, GENMETSZ Nawaz Pasha is a Research Nurse at the Centre for Brain and Mind. With a bachelors degree in Nursing. Nawaz has experience working in the ICU department. He likes to travel new places and enjoys photography

Swachatha Worker Back Back to People Page Back Support Team, MRI/EEG Team Sheela K Swachatha Worker

Junior Research Fellow akshiva2891@gmail.com LinkedIn ORCID ID: 0000-0001-7143-9887 Back Back to People Page Back Lab Team, Doctoral Candidate Akshaya Ganesh Junior Research Fellow MGL Akshayaa is a Molecular Biology graduate from Dr ALM PG IBMS, University of Madras. She has explored molecular aspects of diverse research questions like mitochondrial genetics of Plasmodium falciparum, miRNA-curcumin-mediated regulation in cervical cancer cells, and cellular aging markers like Telomere attrition & mitochondrial copy number variation in Huntington's disease. Currently, she works on accelerated cellular aging in neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders for her PhD thesis . At India-ENIGMA Ageing program, she aims to understand the genetic heterogeneity of Alzheimer's disease (AD) which makes a set of people vulnerable or resilient towards the disease progression from Mild Cognitive Impairment to mild AD and then to AD. She will study AD heterogeneity by employing genetic & epigenetic tools like Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS), Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS), miRnome & global methylation analysis.

Technician (EEG, Psychophysics) anukrishnan.gd@gmail.com LinkedIn Back Back to People Page Back MRI/EEG Team Anukrishnan G D Technician (EEG, Psychophysics) CBM

Research Technician sudipta.nimhans@gmail.com , m.sudiptachoudhury@gmail.com Twitter | LinkedIn Back Back to People Page Back Lab Team Sudipta Choudhury Research Technician CBM Sudipta is a research technician at the Centre for Brain and Mind with a Master’s degree in Molecular Biology. She has experience in neuroscience and molecular research, with a keen interest in understanding neurodegenerative diseases. Outside the lab, Sudipta finds joy in painting to relieve stress, dancing in her break time, hiking, and discovering cute new places during her travels. She is also an avid reader across genres and enjoys nurturing plants, combining her love for nature and creativity in everyday life.

Project Associate manasadeepika97@gmail.com Back Back to People Page Back Lab Team, Doctoral Candidate Manasadeepika Project Associate CBM I am a project associate at CBM NIMHANS, and am passionate about neuroscience research. I'm currently trying to understand how bionergetics contributes to the machanism of action of lithium in bipolar disorder. Beyond the lab, I find joy in capturing moments through portraits and paintings, letting creativity flow onto canvas. Dancing is my escape, where movement becomes an expression of inner rhythms.

Research Overview The Rohini Nilekani Centre for Brain and Mind tackles the global challenge of psychiatric disorders with a pioneering study focusing on high-risk families. Clinical investigations, including neuroimaging and neuropsychological assessments, are conducted on these cohorts regularly. Through our collaborations with NCBS, patient blood samples are used to establish disease-specific cellular models using immortalised cell lines and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). Clinical Group Endophenotype Group Genetics and Stem Cell Group By analysing these patient-derived cell lines through genetic studies & cell-based assays, alongside large-scale clinical data, our research aims to unravel the complex relationship between cellular phenotypes and psychiatric disorder progression. This interdisciplinary approach promises to advance our understanding and facilitate the development of innovative therapies, ultimately improving mental health outcomes. For Researchers For General Public Clinical Assessments Our clinicians conduct comprehensive evaluations of patients’ behaviours and symptoms. This is followed by a psychiatric screening that assesses family history, charts hereditary traits & measures the severity of the disorder. Neuropsychological tests evaluate cognitive skills in individuals with & without psychiatric disorders, considering their family history Genetic Studies We assess changes in DNA sequence in psychiatric patients, their immediate relatives & in unrelated controls (people without a psychiatric diagnosis). Understanding why & how these changes happen can help scientists understand how genetic risk translates to disease. Multimodal Neuroimaging We use imaging techniques such as eye-movement tracking, functional near-infrared spectroscopy, MRIs and EEGs. These help us evaluate the structural changes in the brain & its activity linked to psychiatric diseases. Bioinformatics Using powerful computers, we study differences in the DNA of individuals with & without psychiatric disorders in different populations. This genetic information helps us find the cause & predict the chances of developing these psychiatric disorders. Stem Cell Research Stem cells, developed from blood cells, are used to investigate differences in brain cells during disease. We study whether these cells function differently than those of non-affected people. Clinical Assessment Our doctors examine you for the presence of any psychiatric disorders & take a blood sample. They make a chart of your family history to understand if any psychiatric disorder runs in your family. They also assess how severe your disorder is & evaluate your cognitive skills. Brain Imaging Our researchers use different methods to peek inside the brain and check for any changes in its structure & function. EEG records the electrical signals from the brain. It helps us find changes in brain activity. We also use other techniques such as eye tracking & near infrared spectroscopy to study different forms of brain activity and function. MRI uses a powerful magnet to take detailed pictures of your brain, and allows doctors to check the structure for any potential abnormalities. Genetic Studies Remember the blood sample we took? We isolate DNA from blood cells & study the genetic sequence. We try to understand whether changes in the DNA are linked to certain psychiatric disorders. We also aim to understand the differences in DNA sequences using mathematical models. This helps us learn if these differences make it more likely for someone to develop psychiatric symptoms. Stem Cell Research We also use blood samples to create stem cells, which are special cells that can grow into many different kinds of cells in the body. We turn them into brain cells to understand how they function in people with & without psychiatric disorders. All of this information together, helps us understand psychiatric disorders better & can lead to development of better treatments!

Back Back to People Page Back Lab Team Rishitha Bysani MGL

Junior Research Fellow (Neuroimaging for ANC) fernandesblossom98@gmail.com LinkedIn Back Back to People Page Back MRI/EEG Team, Doctoral Candidate Blossom Fernandes Junior Research Fellow (Neuroimaging for ANC) CBM Blossom is a JRF for Neuroimaging ANC at the Centre for Brain and Mind. With a Masters degree in Medical Imaging Technology with experience in clinical MRI and other modalities in imaging. She enjoys watching movies and TV series, exploring new places and playing badminton