VAISHNAVI ANANTHANARAYANAN
(She/her)
EMBL Australia Group Leader
Vaishnavi is in-charge of making sure that everybody in the lab has everything necessary to carry out their research and in general, making sure they are happy! When she is not (trying to) carry out experiments, teaching or writing, she enjoys binge-watching TV shows, playing tennis and the piano.
She completed a PhD in Biophysics at the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics (Dresden) in January 2014. She established her independent laboratory at the Indian Institute of Science later that year, and joined the EMBL Australia Node for Single Molecule Science at UNSW in November 2020. Alongside her research, she has been an active advocate for equity, diversity, and inclusion, and has led EDI initiatives within academia, including co-founding BiasWatchIndia. Her research has been recognised with the European Molecular Biology Organisation Young Investigator distinction (2019), the American Society for Cell Biology (WICB) Junior Award for Excellence in Research (2021), and the Royal Microscopical Society (UK) Life Sciences Award (2025).
Email: vaish @ unsw.edu.au
GREGORY REDPATH
(He/him)
Co- Group Leader/ Senior Postdoctoral Fellow
Greg is the endosome whisperer of the lab. He’s passionate about understanding how stuff enters and exits cells via membrane-bound compartments. To do this, he tinkers with high-end microscopes and takes beautiful images. Another of his passions is cricket – if you aren’t already a fan, he will try to convert you. When you meet him, do ask him about Invercargill, New Zealand.
Email: g.redpath @ unsw.edu.au
DAVID KIM
(He/him)
PhD Student
David is interested in cancer. He studies interactions of EGFR and its various ligands. He particularly interested in how they are transported to and from the microtubules. If you need to find him, he will either be in the gym or the lab.
Email: david.h.kim @ student.unsw.edu.au
JACK ZHANG
(He/him)
PhD Student
Jack is on a quest to unravel the inner workings of hallucinogens – particularly how they affect the cellular trafficking and regulation of serotonin receptors. His work aims to advance the development of hallucinogen-derived medications that can more effectively treat depression and anxiety. Outside the lab, he enjoys following the latest spaceflight news. learning new recipes and some casual badminton.
Email: hejie.zhang @ student.unsw.edu.au
RAFUL NAVARRO
(He/him)
PhD Student
Raful is a mitochondria afissionado. He loves mitochondrial dynamics and tries to understand their importance during meiosis. Board game nights and sports discussions may take all his free time. The occasional binge-watch is on the menu too.
Email: r.navarro_espindola @ student.unsw.edu.au
SHREYA BOBY
(She/her)
PhD Student
Shreya is passionate about the fascinating and wide world of science, with a special interest in molecular science. Her current research involves looking at cancer cells and the trafficking processes that happen within, especially with EGFR. Outside the lab, she’ll either be teaching kids math or exploring a new restaurant.
Email: s.boby @ student.unsw.edu.au
Alumni
Postdoctoral Fellows
- Nida Ul Fatima (Nov 2021 – Nov 2024, now: Postdoctoral Fellow, Macquarie University, Sydney)
- Zeenat Jahan (Sep 2022 – Sep 2024, now: Clinical Trial Coordinator, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney)
PhD Students
- Leeba Ann Chacko (Sep 2021 – Feb 2025, now: Research Officer, Katharina Gaus Light Microscopy Facility, UNSW Sydney)
- Joel Joseph (Dec 2019 – Nov 2020*, now: PhD BSSE, IISc Bangalore)
- Mitali Shah (Aug 2018 – Nov 2020*, now: PhD BSSE, IISc Bangalore)
- Nireekshit Addanki Tirumala (July 2015 – Nov 2020, now: Research Engineer at Pandorum Technologies, Bangalore)
(*due to move to UNSW)
Master’s Students
- Leeba Ann Chacko (Junior Research Fellow, Dec 2017 – Nov 2020)
- Rishabh Singh (Project Assistant, now: MS Boston Univ., USA, July 2017 – June 2018)
- Kritika Mehta (Junior Research Fellow, now: PhD UIUC, USA, July 2017 – July 2018)
- Tirthankar Sengupta (Research Associate, Sept 2016 – Nov 2017)
- Stephen Nuthalapati (Junior Research Fellow, now: PhD GLU Geisen, Germany, July 2016 – July 2017)
- Ashwini Ravi (Project Assistant, now: PhD Bangalore Univ., India, July 2015 – July 2017)
- Jerrin Mathew Thankachan (Junior Research Fellow, now: PhD IISc, India, July 2015 – June 2016)
Undergraduate Students
- Sarah Skerhut (UNSW Honors Student, Feb 2022 – Nov 2022)
- Lauren Raasch (SN Bose Summer Research Fellow from U. Michigan, USA, Jun 2019 – Aug 2019)
- Ananya Rajagopal (Research Intern, May 2019 – July 2019)
- Anand Sankar (Project Assistant, Aug 2018 – Sept 2018)
- Reshma Raj (Research Intern, Aug 2017 – Aug 2018)
- Elsa Barron (SN Bose Summer Research Fellow from U. Notre Dame, USA, July 2018 – Aug 2018)
- Aditya Jeevannavar (Research Intern, May 2018 – July 2018)
- Keval Pandya (MBBS Research Intern, May 2018)
- Manish Ayushman (Research Intern, now: PhD Stanford Univ., USA, May 2017 – July 2017)
- Parth Sharma (MBBS Research Intern, May 2017)
- Amoolya Girish (Research Intern, now: MS U. Florida, USA, Sept 2016 – Dec 2016)
- Milind Singh (Research Intern, now: PhD Yale Univ., USA, May 2015 – July 2015)