Sreeja Sridharan is a Genetics and Epigenetics student who just completed her PhD defense. She is in the lab of Michael Galko, PhD, and her research focuses on the genetic mechanisms that contribute to chemotherapy-induced pain. 

What sparked your interest in science?

My interest in science began at a young age. I really enjoy learning new things and I am always excited to learn about new topics.

What inspired you to pursue your PhD?

In undergrad, I decided to try doing research and joined the Bonner lab at North Carolina State University. I really loved the challenge of working in a lab. I also learned a lot from talking to others about my research and the opportunities I had to share at conferences and symposia. I decided to pursue a PhD because of how much I loved my work in my undergraduate lab.

What is your current research?

My research focuses on investigating the genetic mechanisms that contribute to chemotherapy-induced pain using fruit flies as a model. In cancer patients undergoing treatment, chemotherapy drugs often cause painful side effects like hypersensitivity to touch and temperature. This means normal stimuli like a warm shower or the feeling of clothing against their skin can feel painful, which can significantly reduce patient quality of life. But little is known about the causes of hypersensitivity or how to effectively treat it.

In the Galko lab, I use fruit flies as a basic discovery model to investigate the genetic and molecular mechanisms that regulate hypersensitivity due to chemotherapy treatment. Fruit flies exhibit chemotherapy-induced pain hypersensitivity. We are using the powerful tools of fly genetics to investigate potential signaling pathways involved in this hypersensitivity. We also investigate the shape and structure of the sensory neurons involved in the pain signaling pathways to study the effects chemotherapy has on them. Elucidating these mechanisms will contribute to our understanding of hypersensitivity and may lead to improved pain management in cancer patients.

What advice do you have for new students?

Do not hesitate to ask for help when you need it. Whether it's just reaching out to friends in your cohort to help troubleshoot or talking to staff like Assistant Director of Academic Affairs Natalie Sirisaengtaksin, PhD, about issues you may be facing in your lab. You don't have to figure everything out alone. I had a fantastic community of students and faculty in the Genetics and Epigenetics program who supported me at every step of my PhD journey, and I wouldn't have made it without them.