This postdoc combines molecular biology and disease modeling to better understand genetic blindness.
Arpita Dave is a postdoctoral researcher in Roxana Radu’s group at the University of California, Los Angeles. Her research focuses on Stargardt disease, a genetic form of blindness. In this Postdoc Portrait, she discusses her recent projects and moments of resilience that keep her going.
Exploring Epigenetic Regulation in Stargardt Disease
Q | How did you first get interested in your field of research?
When I was in middle school, my father used to buy me a science magazine called Safari, published by Harshal Publications. I loved reading about discoveries and innovations, and it was then that I first felt the desire to make my own discoveries. This curiosity deepened during my master’s program in biochemistry at The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, where rigorous research training exposed me to both successful experiments and the lessons of failure. My first project, in Prakash Pillai’s lab, focused on understanding how Methyl-CpG-binding protein 2 deficiency affects mitochondrial functions in brain glial cells. That experience sparked my interest in exploring how epigenetic regulation influences disease phenotypes, particularly through mechanisms like DNA methylation.
Q | Tell us about your favorite research project you’re working on.
In recent years, I have been focusing on two exciting projects: exploring mitochondrial dynamics and the other, my long-time passion, investigating epigenetic regulation in retinal pigment epithelial cells from Stargardt disease models. This research has deepened my appreciation for how precisely regulated our biological systems are and how even a single dysregulation can trigger a cascade of effects. My study of DNA methylation in Stargardt disease mouse models has revealed its significant contribution to the disease, suggesting that gene therapy alone may not be sufficient to fully address the disorder.
Research Resilience and a Lab Instrument Alter Ego
Q | What has been the most exciting part of your scientific journey so far?
Coming from a non-English medium school and having a slower learning pace, the most rewarding part of my journey has been overcoming challenges and remaining resilient through every stage of my career. There have been moments of doubt during setbacks, but the sense of purpose that research brings to my life makes it all worthwhile. The thought that one day someone might read my work in a science magazine and feel inspired to explore science themselves is what truly motivates me.
I have always enjoyed public speaking and discussing science, and although I am still learning to articulate scientific ideas more effectively, this journey has been incredibly enriching. It has taken me to countries such as the Czech Republic, Iran, the United States, and Australia—each experience offering not only professional growth but also meaningful cultural exchange, which has been the cherry on top of this adventure.
Q | If you could be a laboratory instrument, which one would you be and why?
If I could be a laboratory instrument, I would be a fluorescence microscope. People could only see through me what I want them to see—maybe a perfectly crisp signal one day or absolutely nothing the next. I could mess with them a little and have some fun!
But honestly, a fluorescence microscope feels like the perfect match. It reveals things that are otherwise invisible, turning faint glows into fascinating stories about life at the cellular level. So yes, I’d happily be a fluorescence microscope: a little playful, sometimes unpredictable, but helpful.
Responses have been edited for length and clarity.
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