Naiju Thomas PhD Student

I am a first-year PhD student in Dr. Guy Nir and Dr. Eric Wagner’s lab (Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology). Our labs employ multidisciplinary approaches to understand how gene expression changes, specifically those caused by the integrator complex, affect the 3D organization of mammalian genomes.

Before joining UTMB, I completed a Master of Science degree in Biotechnology at the Johns Hopkins University in 2020. I also worked as a research technologist in Kacchap’s lab on a project focused on decoding how supraphysiological androgen activates innate immune signaling in prostate cancer cells. I also have an advanced master’s degree (MPhil) in Computer-Aided Drug Designing from the University of Kerala, India, and a bachelor’s degree in Zoology from Mahatma Gandhi University, India. My goal is to gain expertise in advanced molecular biology techniques that will propel me towards becoming a tenure track professor.

Apart from being an aspiring scientist, I am an avid traveler, a numismatist, and love to play pool.