Debjyoti Kundu, PhD, is a postdoctoral fellow in the Cai Lab with prior experience of liver pathobiology with a focus on cholestatic diseases. He is passionate about science communication and community outreach among non-scientific audiences. In his role at the Indiana Biosciences Research Institute (IBRI), he will focus on understanding the molecular mechanism that protect beta cells against autoimmune destruction and cellular stress-induced apoptosis in type 1 diabetes.
Prior to arriving at the IBRI, he received his doctoral degree in biochemistry and molecular biology from the Indiana University (IU) School of Medicine. His dissertation at the IU School of Medicine focused on understanding the role of cellular senescence in progression of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Kundu's graduate work also explored the possibility of mast cell inhibition as a therapeutic intervention in NAFLD. Additionally, he liaised with industry to perform in vivo and in vitro research aimed at understanding the mechanism of a mast cell inhibitor in cholestatic liver disease.
During his time at IU, Kundu served on various student committees representing and advocating for graduate students. He was awarded a trainee scholar award from the American Society for Investigative Pathology in 2021 for outstanding research in liver biology and has served on the ad-hoc planning committee to organize the Pathobiology for Investigators, Students, and Academicians (PISA): Young Investigators Virtual Meeting in 2022.