Nainika roy, Ph.d.

Nainika obtained her Ph.D. in Neurobiology & Behavior from Columbia University in 2024, where she trained in Dr. Falak Sher’s lab at the Center for Translational and Computational Neuroimmunology. Her doctoral research investigated the role of the transposable element LINE-1 in driving microglial pathology in the context of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Prior to her Ph.D., Nainika received her B.S. in Molecular and Cellular Biology with a minor in Informatics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where she investigated small molecules with therapeutic potential in AD. She subsequently joined the European Molecular Biology Laboratory in Rome, Italy, where she developed targeted, protein-guided laser ablation techniques to modulate itch and inflammatory pain.

As a postdoctoral fellow in the Victor Lab, Nainika investigates how metabolic and epigenetic reprogramming shape microglial immune states in Alzheimer’s disease. Her current work focuses on how AD risk and protective variants remodel microglial metabolism to influence inflammation and its resolution. Nainika is passionate about scientific literacy and healthtech innovation.

Email: nainika.roy@mssm.edu

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nainikaroy/