Devasena Ponnalagu

The Ohio State University

I am a Post-Doctoral Researcher in Dr. Harpreet Singh’s laboratory at The Ohio State University. My graduate training was through an “Integrated PhD program” in Biological Sciences at the Indian Institute of Science, India. My PhD, work was carried out under the guidance of Dr. Anjali A Karande with my thesis focused on “Mapping the functional domain of glycodelin A”. As a Post-Doctoral trainee, I am working on gaining insights on chloride intracellular channel (CLIC) proteins (non-canonical class of ion channels) in cardiac function and cardio-protection from ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury. I have established the molecular identity of two of the mammalian paralogs, CLIC4, and CLIC5 in cardiac mitochondria and showed their differential localization to outer and inner mitochondrial membranes. My work has established CLIC5 as the first inner membrane chloride channel to be characterized at the molecular level. In 2017, I received an AHA post-doctoral fellowship to decipher the role of an alternate splice variant CLIC5B in modulating inner mitochondrial membrane localization and function. Further, we demonstrated that both CLIC4 and CLIC5 are important for maintaining mitochondrial function and cardio-protection from IR injury. Currently, I am investigating the mechanisms of how chloride homeostasis mediated by CLIC4 and CLIC5 affects the cardiac physiology and how they further play a role in mediating cardio-protection from IR injury.

Shubha Gururaja Rao

The Ohio State University

I have been studying cell signaling and genetics since attaining my PhD at the University of Edinburgh, UK. My general interests include understanding the role of cell signaling (mainly mitochondria-related) and mechanisms operating in cells during stress, cancer, pathophysiological conditions such as cardiac ischemic events, and aging. Mitochondria control energy metabolism, free radical generation, and apoptosis, and thus could be key factors in cell survival and function. During my postdoctoral training at the University of California, Los Angeles, my research was focussed on the dynamics of mitochondrial structure and function in growth and uncontrolled cell division. We characterized and elucidated the mechanism by which an oncogenic pathway, Yap/Yorkie (Yki), regulates the structure and function of mitochondria by increasing mitochondrial fusion and how this regulation is important for regulating overgrowth. I have also characterized a non-canonical STAT pathway regulating mitochondrial numbers and function. During my time as a research faculty in Drexel University, I have screened over 70 ion channels and identified several potential candidates directly involved in maintaining mitochondrial ROS generation, its structure-function, and aging of Drosophila. I have also screened mitochondrial potassium and chloride channels in Drosophila and discovered that they are vital for aging and mitochondrial ROS generation. To further study ROS and its signaling consequences, I have pioneered using non-thermal plasma on Drosophila and established the role of ROS using non-thermal plasma in the immune response in oncogenic scenarios. I am characterizing the genetic basis of cardiac mitochondrial dysfunctions and oncogenic signaling using my previous expertise of Drosophila research as well as focussing on physiological and biochemical aspects. At The Ohio State University, I collaborated extensively with cardiovascular physiologists and clinicians to discover a direct interplay between oncogenic pathways and cardiac (dys)function using Drosophila and patient samples. Though in its infancy, this study has given me very intriguing insights. As a career goal, I am interested in understanding how cellular and mitochondrial signaling pathways are regulated and how they contribute to cellular growth and cardiac physiology.