KL Deemed to be University Ph.D. Scholar Receives New Investigator Travel Award for 2023

July 2023: KL Deemed to be University is delighted to announce that Lakshmi Sowmya Emani, a Ph.D. scholar in the Department of Biotechnology, has been selected to receive the prestigious New Investigator Travel Award for 2023. This remarkable achievement is a testament to her exceptional research under the guidance of Dr. Jagannatha Rao, Pro Chancellor of KL Deemed to be University. The esteemed Awards & Honors Committee of the Environmental Mutagenesis and Genomics Society (EMGS),  based in the USA, has bestowed this honor upon her. Lakshmi will have the opportunity to present her groundbreaking research work at the award ceremony, which is scheduled to take place in September 2023 in Chicago.

Lakshmi specializes in Neuroscience, and her presentation will focus on her pioneering study on the change in DNA structure from B-Z form in the neurodegenerative brain. Her research proposes the potential impact of this structural change in causing cell death in the brain, ultimately leading to debilitating conditions such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. As brain disorders continue to be a significant global challenge, with an estimated 155 million cases projected by the year 2050, understanding the mechanisms behind brain cell death becomes imperative. It is noteworthy that only 5-8% of these diseases are genetically determined, while anyone can be susceptible to developing these brain disorders.

She has collaborated with prestigious institutions like OIST in Japan and has been awarded the ISN travel award to visit the United States. Additionally, Lakshmi has plans to collaborate with the Paris Brain Institute and other renowned institutions to delve deeper into the mysteries of the brain and gain a better understanding of brain disorders. Her motivation to explore these challenging disorders stems from her experiences visiting hospitals and witnessing the impact on brain-affected patients.