Hi, I'm Priyanka.

Please start by introducing your professional journey in academia

Hi, I'm Priyanka. I major in biology. Actually, Biological Sciences I did. Graduation from Presidency College in Botany.

Hi, I'm Priyanka. I major in biology. Actually, Biological Sciences I did. Graduation from Presidency College in Botany. Zoology and chemistry. After that I did my masters in Biophysics and Molecular Biology from University of Calcutta.

Hi, I'm Priyanka. I major in biology. Actually, Biological Sciences I did. Graduation from Presidency College in Botany. Zoology and chemistry. After that I did my masters in Biophysics and Molecular Biology from University of Calcutta. From there I did. After that I did my PhD. In ICER Kolkata with the guidance of Doctor Shankar Myth. On forming by. Forming proteins.

Hi, I'm Priyanka. I major in biology. Actually, Biological Sciences I did. Graduation from Presidency College in Botany. Zoology and chemistry. After that I did my masters in Biophysics and Molecular Biology from University of Calcutta. From there I did. After that I did my PhD. In ICER Kolkata with the guidance of Doctor Shankar Myth. On forming by. Forming proteins. After that, I worked as Inspire faculty. At NCCS. With the cytoskeleton proteins associated with neurodevelopmental disorder. From there I went to Brandeis University. To to work as a research scientist to work on. East Cypress skeletal proteins.

Hi, I'm Priyanka. I major in biology. Actually, Biological Sciences I did. Graduation from Presidency College in Botany. Zoology and chemistry. After that I did my masters in Biophysics and Molecular Biology from University of Calcutta. From there I did. After that I did my PhD. In ICER Kolkata with the guidance of Doctor Shankar Myth. On forming by. Forming proteins. After that, I worked as Inspire faculty. At NCCS. With the cytoskeleton proteins associated with neurodevelopmental disorder. From there I went to Brandeis University.

Hi, I'm Priyanka. I major in biology. Actually, Biological Sciences I did. Graduation from Presidency College in Botany. Zoology and chemistry. After that I did my masters in Biophysics and Molecular Biology from University of Calcutta. From there I did. After that I did my PhD. In ICER Kolkata with the guidance of Doctor Shankar Myth. On forming by. Forming proteins. After that, I worked as Inspire faculty. At NCCS. With the cytoskeleton proteins associated with neurodevelopmental disorder. From there I went to Brandeis University. To to work as a research scientist to work on. East Cypress skeletal proteins. And now I have. Here to appear for this interview as an assistant professor in Biological Sciences at VIT. Thank you.

Okay, so you majored in Botany at Presidency College. Can you tell me how your background in biological sciences connects to your interest in physics and this assistant professor role?

Alright, so after Botany you went on to do your masters in Biophysics and Molecular Biology at Calcutta. Are there any key research experiences or projects from your master's that shaped your direction toward physics?

Okay, so your PhD at ICER Kolkata focused on protein formation under Dr. Shankar Myth. Was there a particular discovery or experiment during your doctoral research that pushed you toward applying for a physics faculty position rather than remaining strictly in the life sciences?

Professor, I'd like to hear how you approach teaching a complex topic like quantum mechanics or statistical physics to students encountering it for the first time. What's your strategy for making those ideas accessible?

Okay, you moved from Brandeis working on cytoskeletal proteins—so you've bridged biological systems and some deeply physical principles. When you first teach students about the physics underlying biological systems, like protein folding or molecular interactions, what's one foundational concept you focus on to get them engaged?

Looking at your publications, Dr. Priyanka, I noticed your recent work on “Kaptin functions as a barbed-end binding protein to control actin filament dynamics” published in the Journal of Molecular Biology. How do you translate insights from that research into practical

So those who are. In the intersection of the. Physics and biology to meet the. The new students to make them understand for this recent publication of mine. So I would say. Like Captain? Molecule whose mutation causes neurodevelopment disorder. And Captain is present at the cytoskeletal. At the edge of the. Cells at the leading edge of the. In general, words to make students understand. That. About this paper. So I have to say. Like some person. Is having a. Umm, when he or she. Is at. His age at the age of 3. Three to five years old. And that person cannot speak properly or cannot hear properly.

So those who are. In the intersection of the. Physics and biology to meet the. The new students to make them understand for this recent publication of mine. So I would say. Like Captain? Molecule whose mutation causes neurodevelopment disorder. And Captain is present at the cytoskeletal. At the edge of the. Cells at the leading edge of the. In general, words to make students understand. That. About this paper. So I have to say. Like some person. Is having a. Umm, when he or she. Is at. His age at the age of 3. Three to five years old. And that person cannot speak properly or cannot hear properly. Then. If there is any mutation in the gene. And we screen. We can found. Sometimes Captain is mutated in. Some of the patients. Also in our body, inside our body, the. The cells are present. And cell is the basic unit. Of the living. Organism. Inside this. As our body has a skeleton, similarly cells are also having skeletons. Which is. Known as the cytoskeleton. And it maintains the structural integrity of the. It provides the shape. To the cell. So to maintain the shell shape, cell intriguity, cell movement. Cytoskeleton is less.

So those who are. In the intersection of the. Physics and biology to meet the. The new students to make them understand for this recent publication of mine. So I would say. Like Captain? Molecule whose mutation causes neurodevelopment disorder. And Captain is present at the cytoskeletal. At the edge of the. Cells at the leading edge of the. In general, words to make students understand. That. About this paper. So I have to say. Like some person. Is having a. Umm, when he or she. Is at. His age at the age of 3. Three to five years old. And that person cannot speak properly or cannot hear properly. Then. If there is any mutation in the gene. And we screen. We can found. Sometimes Captain is mutated in. Some of the patients. Also in our body, inside our body, the. The cells are present. And cell is the basic unit. Of the living. Organism. Inside this. As our body has a skeleton, similarly cells are also having skeletons. Which is. Known as the cytoskeleton. And it maintains the structural integrity of the. It provides the shape. To the cell. So to maintain the shell shape, cell intriguity, cell movement. Cytoskeleton is less. There are multiple proteins. Present inside the cell. These proteins. Actually. Help to. Maintain the cytoskeleton integrity. Structure or shape? By by binding to the cytoskeleton and modulating the cytoskeleton function. Captain is one of that. Protein, which is present at the. Leading edge of the cells. And modulate. The cytoskeleton dynamic.

Right, so you're using the example of a young child with speech or hearing difficulties to make the molecular biology relatable. Can you walk me through how you structure that explanation in the classroom—what analogies or demonstrations do you use so students really grasp how a mutated protein like Kaptin leads to a neurodevelopmental outcome?

Alright, you’re really grounding the cellular biology in things students can relate to, like development and the role of the cytoskeleton in cell structure. Say a student is struggling with the leap from this analogy to the molecular detail—how do you help them make the jump from “the cell has a skeleton” to understanding the specific physics behind actin filament polymerization?

Alright, let's pivot to your long-term research vision. Given your expertise at the physics-biology interface, where do you see the most fundable directions over the next three years, and what kinds of grants would you prioritize pursuing for your group?

So for looking at my long term research goal I have. For the extension of the Captain project. So like. Captain, which is associated with neurodevelopmental disorder protein and modulate the actin cytoskeleton dynamics at the leading edge of the cell. It also binds to the cell membrane. The membrane binding function and the. Actin cytoskeleton function is regulated together. We need to understand that part. First question, second question is. Captain also binds to the cytos. Uh, micro. Tubules. Microtubules inside the cell.

So for looking at my long term research goal I have. For the extension of the Captain project. So like. Captain, which is associated with neurodevelopmental disorder protein and modulate the actin cytoskeleton dynamics at the leading edge of the cell. It also binds to the cell membrane. The membrane binding function and the. Actin cytoskeleton function is regulated together. We need to understand that part. First question, second question is. Captain also binds to the cytos. Uh, micro. Tubules. Microtubules inside the cell. So does it. Crosstalk the actin and microtubule inside the cell. This is new. Need to be understood. 3rd question is. For a grant is like that. The Captain. A part of the Kickstarter complex. Kickstarter is basically a complex which. Regulate the. Inhibition of mtor when there is no. Nutrient inside the cell. So being a part of the kickstart, how it regulates the cytoskeleton dynamics it is not known. So the. People I have published in Journal of Molecular Biology. It's just a tip on the iceberg, so we need to understand a lot.

So for looking at my long term research goal I have. For the extension of the Captain project. So like. Captain, which is associated with neurodevelopmental disorder protein and modulate the actin cytoskeleton dynamics at the leading edge of the cell. It also binds to the cell membrane. The membrane binding function and the. Actin cytoskeleton function is regulated together. We need to understand that part. First question, second question is. Captain also binds to the cytos. Uh, micro. Tubules. Microtubules inside the cell. So does it. Crosstalk the actin and microtubule inside the cell. This is new. Need to be understood. 3rd question is. For a grant is like that. The Captain. A part of the Kickstarter complex. Kickstarter is basically a complex which. Regulate the. Inhibition of mtor when there is no. Nutrient inside the cell. So being a part of the kickstart, how it regulates the cytoskeleton dynamics it is not known. So the. People I have published in Journal of Molecular Biology. It's just a tip on the iceberg, so we need to understand a lot. This is one part of my. Project proposal. The another part for my long-term projects is. To work on the kelch family proteins. The kelch family proteins are basically also associated with neurodevelopmental disorder like. Guilt, which is known as May heaven, and kelch 17 which is also known as actin filling. So. These proteins have been shown. That deletion of these two proteins. 'Cause inhibition of dendritic arborization or. Inhibit the neurite. Formations inside the neurons.

So for looking at my long term research goal I have. For the extension of the Captain project. So like. Captain, which is associated with neurodevelopmental disorder protein and modulate the actin cytoskeleton dynamics at the leading edge of the cell. It also binds to the cell membrane. The membrane binding function and the. Actin cytoskeleton function is regulated together. We need to understand that part. First question, second question is. Captain also binds to the cytos. Uh, micro. Tubules. Microtubules inside the cell. So does it. Crosstalk the actin and microtubule inside the cell. This is new. Need to be understood. 3rd question is. For a grant is like that. The Captain. A part of the Kickstarter complex. Kickstarter is basically a complex which. Regulate the. Inhibition of mtor when there is no. Nutrient inside the cell. So being a part of the kickstart, how it regulates the cytoskeleton dynamics it is not known. So the. People I have published in Journal of Molecular Biology. It's just a tip on the iceberg, so we need to understand a lot. This is one part of my. Project proposal. The another part for my long-term projects is. To work on the kelch family proteins. The kelch family proteins are basically also associated with neurodevelopmental disorder like. Guilt, which is known as May heaven, and kelch 17 which is also known as actin filling. So. These proteins have been shown. That deletion of these two proteins. 'Cause inhibition of dendritic arborization or. Inhibit the neurite. Formations inside the neurons. So now my question comes. So. This proteins which are known to bind the act. Thin filaments. What and how they regulate the actin dynamics? Do they are the capping proteins like? Or the new are they acting nucleators or they actin microtubule crosstalk? How they regulate the site? The basic mechanistic functions needs to be understand. And also. Second part is. How they behave inside the cells? So by. A cell biological question like. Knocking down. Or using CRISPR. Or shrna method, I would like to test that how these proteins are functioning inside the cells. Secondly, the behavioral. In collaboration with some. Person I have to understand the behavior. Real dynamics when these proteins are knock. Or knock down. Also another question. There is I would like to understand with my collaborator like. The structure of these Gelch family proteins. Like I am already pursuing in collaboration with Doctor Radha in NCCS Puneeth. Structure of this captene molecule. As captain is known to be. A Kickstarter protein complex, but we have seen the cytos regulation of the cytoskeleton. Dynamics by Captain. So we. We are trying to understand its structure. And how? Whether it is a oligomer or a monomer and how it regulates the function, we are trying to understand that. So in future I have two proposal. Proposal immediately to start my lab. With the captain. Extension project. And in future I will write. Grants with the kelch family proteins.

You’re focusing on the interaction of Kaptin with both the cell membrane and the cytoskeleton—so you’re targeting a pretty fundamental question in cell mechanics. Given the competitive landscape, what specific funding agencies or grant schemes do you see as most realistic for supporting this line of research in India or internationally?

Alright, Professor, shifting to how you teach—let’s say you’re assigned a large introductory course in cell biophysics, but slides and rote lectures are discouraged. How would you run a session that gets undergraduates actually wrestling with complex concepts like cytoskeletal dynamics?

Okay, and thinking beyond your research and teaching, accreditation cycles can be quite demanding for a department. If you joined VIT and found that outcome assessment data was inconsistent across physics courses, how would you go about addressing that?

So you’d start both with the Kaptin pathway and then the broader Kelch protein family, using knockdown and structural studies to get at their mechanism and role in neuron development. Alright—day to day, accreditation isn’t just research and teaching; it’s also about showing that course outcomes are measured consistently across the department. How familiar are you with the routine documentation, audits, or continuous improvement processes that accreditation bodies like NAAC or NBA expect, and what’s your experience actually participating in those?

I I know in the college or in the education system, so we have to perform in presence of the NAC. Committee. Like when we were in college or in during my undergrad. The NAC visits happen since in the college. So. I know about NAC, that we had to perform in front of them, but NBA, I don't know. NAC. Not NAC, NAC. In. Any more questions? So for the department's outcome assessment for accreditation as a faculty from our faculty. So before the NAC visit, we had to perform the faculty meetings. So that. Consistent faculty meetings. On regular basis So for the department's outcome assessment for accreditation as a faculty from our faculty. So before the NAC visit, we had to perform the faculty meetings. So that. Consistent faculty meetings. On regular basis. So that. But as a department, we could show our performance to in front of the neck. Each and every factor. He should have at least some outcomes every year in. And may I ask you how often does snack visit happens in the department?

I I know in the college or in the education system, so we have to perform in presence of the NAC. Committee. Like when we were in college or in during my undergrad. The NAC visits happen since in the college. So. I know about NAC, that we had to perform in front of them, but NBA, I don't know.

I I know in the college or in the education system, so we have to perform in presence of the NAC. Committee. Like when we were in college or in during my undergrad. The NAC visits happen since in the college. So. I know about NAC, that we had to perform in front of them, but NBA, I don't know. NAC. Not NAC, NAC.

Alright, you’ve seen NAAC visits as a student, so you know it’s not just about research output—it’s also about demonstrating that processes are followed. If you were asked to coordinate the department's outcome-based education documentation for the next accreditation cycle, what specific steps would you take to make sure everything is audit-ready?

Okay, so you've experienced NAAC visits as a student, but on the faculty side, it's more about preparing documentation and showing continuous improvement in teaching and assessment methods. If you were asked to coordinate the department's outcome-based education report for an accreditation cycle, what would be your first steps to organize that process?

Sorry, not snack, it's snack visit. How often snack visit happens?

Dr. Priyanka

Sorry, not snack, it's snack visit. How often snack visit happens? NAC NAC neck visit.

Right, you were asking about how often a NAAC visit happens. Typically, NAAC accreditation cycles occur every five years, but departments often do annual internal reviews to prepare. Now, let's consider a different scenario—imagine a student files a formal complaint alleging your grading is biased, while your department head is pressuring you to improve pass rates. How would you handle that ethical tension?

Yeah, the NAAC cycle is typically every five years, but departments often do annual reviews to keep things on track. Now, Dr. Priyanka, imagine you have a situation where a student alleges that your grading is biased, and at the same time, your department head is pressuring you to improve pass rates. How would you handle that tension between academic integrity and institutional expectations?

Support students are. Students are complaining that my grading is. A biased. Also I have a. Departmental complain on what? Could you please, uh, repeat once again?

Support students are. Students are complaining that my grading is. A biased. Also I have a. Departmental complain on what? Could you please, uh, repeat once again? Departmental pressure. Can you say what? The Hod was asking that question. Repeat once again.

Of course. Here’s the scenario again: Imagine a student files a formal complaint that your grading is biased, and at the same time, your department head is putting pressure on you to improve student pass rates. How do you manage that situation, balancing academic integrity with those institutional pressures?

Of course, let me repeat the scenario for you. Imagine a student files a formal complaint alleging your grading is biased — at the same time, your department head is pressuring you to improve pass rates. How would you handle that tension between academic integrity and institutional expectations?

So to improve. The institutional expectations. And academic integrity. What are? I will do. Like to set the. See in general. As a faculty, it is my responsibility. Not set very hard questions. The question papers should be set like that. That normally. Like the passing marks? Should. Speak it should the. Students should get the. Every student should have. Get the passing marks first part. Second part. The there should be layers in the question paper. The first part will be like every student should get the passing marks. The second layer will be like the questions will be like that. Some students are in the middle. Rank and some questions will be set like that. That some students can get.

So to improve. The institutional expectations. And academic integrity. What are? I will do. Like to set the. See in general. As a faculty, it is my responsibility. Not set very hard questions. The question papers should be set like that. That normally. Like the passing marks? Should. Speak it should the. Students should get the. Every student should have. Get the passing marks first part.

So to improve. The institutional expectations. And academic integrity. What are? I will do. Like to set the. See in general. As a faculty, it is my responsibility. Not set very hard questions. The question papers should be set like that. That normally. Like the passing marks? Should. Speak it should the. Students should get the. Every student should have. Get the passing marks first part. Second part. The there should be layers in the question paper. The first part will be like every student should get the passing marks. The second layer will be like the questions will be like that. Some students are in the middle. Rank and some questions will be set like that. That some students can get. Uh, top marks. Like full. Like 90% in the exam. That is how I will set the question paper so that. No student should fail in my class. So that it. Maintain the academic. Integrity and also I can show that. This is the passing. Percentage in our class. Any other question?

Okay, so your focus would be on creating exams that are fair and approachable so most students can meet the passing criteria. But what if your department head disagrees and insists that you raise pass rates by adjusting grades or making the criteria even easier—how would you defend your position while balancing that pressure?

Switching gears, given your background in biophysics and molecular biology, do you have any industry connections or collaborations that could help your students access internships or real-world research opportunities?

Okay, so you’d focus first on question design so every student has a fair shot at passing, making sure there are layers to separate the strongest performers too. Earlier, I’d asked if you have any industry connections or collaborations—given your background in biophysics and molecular biology, do you have partnerships or contacts in pharma, biotech, or related sectors that could open up internships or research placements for your students?

Yeah, I have contacts in pharma and biotech related sectors. So we, I, we can have. Connections to build up for the internship of the students. Or for the future placements of the students. In those sectors. I I have contact.

Yeah, I have contacts in pharma and biotech related sectors.

You mentioned having contacts in pharma and biotech sectors—can you give a concrete example of a recent collaboration, referral, or industry-sponsored project you facilitated, or how you’d actively leverage those connections for your students at VIT?

Right, you say you have contacts in pharma and biotech, but can you give a concrete example of a time you helped a student connect with one of these companies, or describe exactly how you’d leverage those contacts to set up an industry project or internship program at VIT?

So when I was a inspired faculty at NCCS Pune. In that lab, some of the students were looking for the industry. During after finishing the P. After finishing. His PhD. And I help that students to make contacts. So with my contact. So that he could land. In a industry job, he got the job, but. Finally, he made a decision to make a career. In the Acadia. And he left for academia after. Six months Any other questions?

So when I was a inspired faculty at NCCS Pune. In that lab, some of the students were looking for the industry. During after finishing the P. After finishing. His PhD. And I help that students to make contacts.

You helped students at NCCS Pune connect with industry after their PhDs—that’s solid. Now, VIT emphasizes emerging technologies. If you were teaching an advanced molecular biology course, how would you introduce topics like CRISPR or synthetic biology in a way that ties them directly to current trends in biotech and pharma?

Alright, Dr. Priyanka, we're wrapping up. Is there anything you'd like to ask about the role or the team?

So exactly what role I have to do in? Assistant Professor Research Do I need to? Like is it a interface of the biology and the physics setup I have to do or it's in the biological science?

Dr. Priyanka, the Assistant Professor Research role is primarily within the Physics department, but at VIT, there's a strong emphasis on interdisciplinary work—so your interface of biology and physics is actually a great fit. You'll be expected to teach, guide student research, develop curriculum, and help students

And how many students are there per batch?

That's a fair question—batch sizes can vary by program and year, but typically you'll be teaching groups of around fifty to sixty students per section in the core physics courses. Thanks for asking, Dr. Priyanka. Really appreciated the conversation. Have a great day! Thanks for asking, Dr. Priyanka. Really appreciated the conversation. Have a great day!