Dr. Arunika Das did her undergraduate training in Chemistry, and a Master’s program in Biochemistry from the University of Calcutta, India. This piqued her interest in fundamental biological questions in cell division. She pursued her Graduate thesis project in Dr. Kim McKim’s lab at Rutgers University, studying Drosophila meiosis and chromosome segregation. Subsequently, she joined as a co-mentored postdoctoral researcher with Drs. Michael Lampson and Ben Black at the University of Pennsylvania. This work focused on the underlying plasticity of the epigenetic centromere mark, in mammalian early embryo development. During her postdoc, Arunika also began exploring consequences of female reproductive aging on chromosome segregation and early development. Her work, combining genetics and cell biology, has transformed the field and highlighted the inherent plasticity of histone inheritance through reproduction and early embryo development. Arunika is now excited to answer how cells tackle challenges of inheriting chromosomes during aging and development.

​Arunika is currently an NIH FIRST Faculty, and is keen on fostering an inclusive, and innovative research environment in her lab, teaching, and mentoring students to help them achieve their career goals.