Shalini Vidyadharan Project Associate
Email
[email protected]
Phone
8078178577
Location
Punnaritta Madom, Vazhar mangalam P.O.,Chengannur, Kerala, India
Education
  • •Fellowship by Department of Biotechnology, Govt. of India
    • 12/2020 – 02/2023Hyderabad
  • •CGPA: 8.26
  • •Dissertation title: Study of Long-term Memory Using Courtship in Drosophila

    • Advisor/PI: Dr. Amitabha Majumdar

  • •Merit-cum-Means Scholarship Scheme, Govt. of India
    • 06/2017 – 08/2020Kollam
  • •CGPA: 9.02
    • Industrial Experience

    Associate Content Editor

    Clarivate Analytics
  • •Analyzed high-impact journal literature to identify and annotate complex molecular interactions including protein-protein, protein-nucleic acid, and nucleic acid-nucleic acid interactions.Ensured accurate scientific interpretation and quality control of annotated content for research database applications.
    • 06/2023 – 12/2023
    Research experience

    Project Associate I

    CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology(CCMB)

    Advisor/​PI: Dr. Anant Bahadur Patel

    12/2023 – PresentHyderabad

    Investigating brain activity and neurotransmitter flux changes in various mice models:

  • •Type-2 Diabetes : Characterized neurometabolic alterations in Type-2 diabetes using ¹H-[¹³C]-NMR spectroscopy in lepr(db/db) mice, identifying region-specific increases in excitatory (34-40%) and inhibitory (47-90%) neuronal activity with preserved astrocytic metabolism, establishing disrupted neuron-astrocyte metabolic coupling as a key feature of diabetic neuropathology.

  • •Every-Other-Day Fasting: Used ¹H-[¹³C]-NMR across aging cohorts (6M, 18M, 18M+EODF) to discover hypothalamic-selective neuroprotection with altered neuronal/​astroglial activity. Validated AMPK downregulation. Optimized proteomics protocols for both iTRAQ and TMT labeling and submitted TMTpro-16plex samples for quantitative proteomics to map molecular pathway changes.

  • •Chronic Ketamine (Collaborative): Sub‑anesthetic ketamine administration was studied at the molecular level using RNA sequencing, with findings validated by qRT‑PCR.

    • Master's Dissertation Research

    National Centre for Cell Science (NCCS), Pune

    Advisor/PI: Dr. Amitabha Majumdar

    06/2022 – 11/2022Pune

    Project Title: Study of Long-Term Memory Using Courtship in Drosophila

  • •Investigated Flotilin-Orb2 protein interactions in memory formation using courtship assays in knockout Drosophila models. My results demonstrated that flotilin knockout animals exhibited significantly decreased memory retention, suggesting Flotilin's critical role in long-term memory mechanisms.
    • Laboratory Experience
    Mice Handling: Behavioral tests (FST, OFT, EPM, Y-maze, Morris Water maze, NORT ). | Tail vein infusion, perfusion techniques, region-specific brain microdissection, and Surgeries (stereotaxic).
    Fly handling and maintenance: Sexing of flies, Virgin collection, Courtship assay, Adult brain dissection, Larval brain dissection, NMJ dissection
    Molecular Biology: DNA/RNA and Plasmid isolation, qPCR, AGE, PAGE, Western blotting, Immunohistochemistry(IHC) and Protein purification using coloumn chromatography, Fluorescence-Activated Cell Sorting(FACS)
    Quantitative Proteomics: Global and phosphoproteomics analysis of mouse brain tissue with iTRAQ/TMT labeling | Protein isolation, quantification (BCA assay), peptide generation using in-solution method (FASP, Desalting) | Basic pH Reverse Phase HPLC-based Fractionation | Tandem mass spectrometry - LC-MS/MS analysis
    NMR Spectroscopy: ¹H-[¹³C]-NMR spectroscopy
    Publications
  • •Vidyadharan, S.*, Patel, A. B. Enhanced neuronal metabolic activity supports preserved neurotransmitter homeostasis under type-2 diabetes (Under-review)

  • •Sarawagi, A., Vidyadharan, S. & Patel, A. B. Sustained Effects of Repeated Subanesthetic (R,S)-ketamine

    • Administration on Neurometabolic Activity in Mouse Brain. Expected submission [March 2026].

  • •Vidyadharan, S.*, Anand, N. K.*, Gothwal, S.*, Ramesh, A., Dey, B. & Patel, A. B. Assessing the Impact of Every-Other-Day Fasting on Brain Metabolism in Mouse Model of Aging. Manuscript in preparation, expected submission [March 2026]. (* these authors contributed equally to the completion of this work)
    • Conference Presentation

    AIM-AT, IAN-2024⁠

    National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bengaluru, India; November 12-14, 2024.

    Vidyadharan S., & Patel, A. B., “Assessing the Impact of Every-Other-Day Fasting on Brain Metabolism in a Mouse Model of Aging.” Poster presentation

    ISMRM & ISMRT Annual Meeting & Exhibition

    Cape Town, South Africa, May 9–14, 2026.

    Vidyadharan, S. & Patel, A. B.Enhanced neuronal metabolic activity supports preserved neurotransmitter homeostasis under type-2 diabetes. Digital Poster Presentation

    Skills
    Scientific Communication — Delivered regular oral presentations at laboratory meetings and presented research findings at national/international conferences
    Leadership & Project Management — Led high-throughput proteomics projects from conception to completion, developing optimized protocols and comprehensive analysis strategies while mentoring master’s students in advanced techniques.
    Time Management & Deadline Adherence — Successfully managed multiple research projects with strict timelines, including manuscript preparation, sample processing, and data analysis deliverables.
    Collaborative Research — Effective team player with experience in brainstorming sessions and experimental design/hypothesis consultation
    Technical Proficiency — Microsoft Office Suite, Adobe Photoshop, GraphPad Prism, MATLAB BLAST, PyMOL, Ingenuity Pathway Analysis, Proteomediscoverer, Noldus EthoVision XT, Endnote
    HONORS & AWARDS
  • •Silver Rank in BSc Microbiology, Amrita School of Biotechnology
  • •GAT-B qualified 2020 AIR 87
  • •CSIR-NET 2023(LS) AIR 43
    • References
    Dr. Anant Bahadur Patel, Chief Scientist, Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad
    Dr. A. Venkateshwari, Professor, Institute of Genetics and Hospital for Genetic Diseases, Hyderabad