Cellular biology reveals the fundamental principles of life and provides a powerful lens for understanding how diseases emerge. I am driven by the complexity of this health-disease interplay, where subtle disruptions in cellular function can lead to profound human disorders.
My laboratory focuses on elucidating how the cells of the peripheral nervous system (PNS) operate under both physiological and pathological conditions, with particular emphasis on how diverse stressors contribute to PNS damage and dysfunction, and their implications for recovery and neuropathy. This research direction evolved from my early clinical practice with neurological patients to laboratory-based investigations using rodent and cellular models to study Wallerian degeneration, injury and repair mechanisms, and neuro-glia-immune responses. I employ multidisciplinary methods that integrate biochemistry, molecular and cellular biology, comprehensive histology with advanced imaging modalities, electrophysiology, and rodent behavioral testing. In recent years, my research has concentrated on leprosy-induced neuropathy and the consequences of Mycobacterium leprae infection on host-cell metabolism. Another area of investigation focuses on iron metabolism in the PNS and the impact of disrupted iron homeostasis on cellular stress and neurodegeneration.