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Srinivas Malladi is finding the learning process at UT very different from what he was accustomed to at the Acharya N.G. Ranga Agricultural University (ANGRAU) in Hyderabad, India, where he received his Bachelor’s degree in agricultural sciences. “There is not much interaction between students and professors, in my experience, as opposed to here in the United States. There isn’t as much of an emphasis on experimental thought, relating things to current research, but more of a memorization of facts,” he said. It was a strong relationship with a former professor that led him in the direction of biochemistry. While getting his Master’s degree in agricultural business management at Texas A & M in Kingsville, he met his mentor, Associate Professor of biochemistry, Dr. Maribel Gonzalez-Garcia. Malladi took a few of her classes and she directed him to her lab, where he began working on his current area of research, apoptosis. Apoptosis is the process of programmed cell death. “It is essentially cell suicide,” Malladi said, who works on two specific proteins, Apaf-1 and Caspase 9, that play an important role in regulating programmed cell death. “In spite of extensive research going on
in the field of apoptosis, there are Deregulation of apoptosis could lead to either formation of tumors due to reduced cell death or to neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer and Parkinson disease due to excessive cell death. Malladi’s first rotation was with Dr. Appling and is currently working in Dr. Shawn Bratton’s lab. “He is very passionate about research and a great mentor.” Malladi is weighing either going into industrial research jobs or an academic position doing research and teaching after finishing his PHD and post-doc. His wife, who he met at ANGRAU, is also working with him in the same lab but on different projects. In fact, at A & M she was advised by Prof. Garcia’s husband, Assistant Professor Dr.Ballestero. “Srinivas is very hard working and a constant inspiration.” said Madhavi. |
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