Since May 2025, I have been a research intern in Dr. Mayurika Lahiri’s lab at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Pune, which studies Api5 (Apoptotic Inhibitor 5) and its role in tumorigenesis. 

My work focuses on Api5 in the DNA damage repair pathway, particularly in UV-induced damage and hydroxyurea-mediated replication stress, and on its interactions with key checkpoint proteins such as ATR and Chk1. 

I assist in primary research and have gained hands-on experience with SDS-PAGE and Western blotting, image-based protein quantification, and core cell culture techniques, including cell passaging, revival, and sorting. 

I have also observed and supported experiments involving plasmid transfections, CRISPR-based gene knockouts, immunofluorescence staining, and colocalisation studies, and have worked with assays related to replication stress and DNA damage, while building a strong foundation in cancer biology.