I am a postdoctoral researcher in the Ronald lab. I grew up in Tamil Nadu, India, where I earned a Bachelor’s degree in Biotechnology (PSG College of Technology). Inspired by the impact of microbes in our life, I moved to the US to pursue a Ph.D. in Microbiology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. For my Ph.D., I undertook interdisciplinary research focusing on the bioinformatics-guided discovery and biochemical characterization of microbially-derived peptidic natural products and proteins. During my graduate studies, I was intrigued by how microbes use natural products to communicate and establish relationships with different hosts, specifically plants. In the Ronald lab, I hope to learn about plant biology and study biochemical messengers that facilitate beneficial plant-microbe interactions. Outside of the lab, I enjoy hiking, cooking, playing shuttle badminton, and spending time with my friends and family.