Damayanti Chakraborty, PhD
Assistant Professor
The Chakraborty lab is interested in epigenetics of cellular plasticity and heterogeneity in the context of development and diseases. We are particularly interested in the transient organ called the placenta, which connects the mother to the fetus. It arises from a pool of stem cells which undergoes spatio-temporal differentiation to a variety of lineages which perform specialized functions to sustain pregnancy and development of the baby. Interestingly, cells of teh placenta do not contribute to cellular lineages of the embryo. However, the developmental cues originating from the placenta shape the fetal epigenome and have consequences to adult-onset diseases. The bigger picture is to understand what those cues are and how do they contribute to disease conditions pertaining to developmental defects in various organ systems including the nervous system which leads to conditions like Autism Spectrum Disorders, Intellectual disabilities, postnatally and in adult life.