Divya D.A. Raj

Divya D.A. Raj serves as a Research Assistant Professor within the Movement Disorders division of the Department of Neurology at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine. Holding a PhD from the University of Groningen (awarded in 2016), Dr. Raj dedicates her research to unraveling neural development mechanisms with direct relevance to Parkinson's disease and age-related neurodegeneration.

Education

• Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), University of Groningen, 2016

Her research program spans Neuroscience, Developmental Neurobiology, and Movement Disorders, employing mouse models to investigate GABAergic/dopaminergic neuron migration in the ventral midbrain. Current work examines molecular diversity in neuronal development and the impact of dietary interventions on neuroinflammatory processes during aging, utilizing advanced 3D imaging techniques for structural analysis.

Analysis of her 2018-2024 publications reveals a cohesive trajectory from axon guidance mechanisms (Netrin-1) in midbrain development to metabolic influences on aging white matter. Key methodologies include tissue clearing protocols and longitudinal microglia tracking, bridging fundamental developmental neuroscience with translational applications for Parkinson's disease.

Scientific Awards: No awards, fellowships, or medals are reported in the available information.

Dr. Raj's academic mentorship activities and externally funded research grants are not disclosed in the profile. Laboratory infrastructure details and research team compositions remain unspecified in the provided materials.