Dr Indranil Basak

Research

Indranil is a Sir Charles Hercus Fellow in the Department of Biochemistry. He joined the University of Otago in June 2018 to work with Prof. Stephanie Hughes. Indranil's research aims to understand the underlying mechanisms involved in neurodegeneration in Parkinson’s and Batten disease. Indranil obtained a Ph.D. in Biological Sciences from St. John's University, New York, focusing on Parkinson's disease.

While studying neurodegeneration in Batten disease, Indranil has established in vitro induced pluripotent stem cell-derived human neuronal, astrocyte, and organoid models. Using these models, CRISPR technology, multi-omics, and the expertise gained from his PhD, Indranil started testing lysosomal function, mitochondrial function and metal homeostasis in genetic forms of Parkinson's disease.

Using the non-coding RNA expertise he gained in his PhD and first postdoctoral training at the University of Utah, Indranil is currently investigating how non-coding RNAs regulate neuronal health. With the help of funding from the Neurological Foundation of New Zealand, Marsden funding from the Royal Society of New Zealand and the Sir Charles Hercus Fellowship from the Health Research Council, Indranil aims to study the non-coding RNAs as future therapeutic molecules in Parkinson’s and Batten disease.

Besides research, Indranil enjoys supervising summer, honours, Master’s, PhD students and assistant research fellows. He has taught undergraduate (Bioc223, Gene360, Bioc 360), postgraduate (Gene412) and medical (ELM3) students at the University of Otago. Indranil is involved in multiple service roles with the Biochemistry department, Brain Health Research Centre, Aotearoa Brain Project, and Otago CRISPR-Hub. Indranil has led various workshops/symposia/conferences on career development and community outreach activities for early-mid career researchers. Indranil is passionate about helping and mentoring prospective students in their research and career progression. For his current research on Parkinson’s disease, Indranil is hiring postgraduate students.