Mridusmita Saikia

Dr. Mridusmita Saikia is a Lecturer at the Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, Cornell University, since 2020. Her research focuses on biomedical engineering, biomolecular engineering, and molecular and cellular engineering, with expertise in RNA modifications, diabetes pathogenesis, and single-cell RNA sequencing. She teaches courses in Cellular and Molecular Engineering, emphasizing foundational concepts applicable to biomedical innovations.

Education includes a B.Sc. (Chemistry, St. Stephen’s College, University of Delhi, 2002), M.Sc. (Chemistry, IIT Delhi, 2004), M.S. (Chemistry, University of Chicago, 2005), and Ph.D. (Chemistry, University of Chicago, 2009). Postdoctoral research was conducted at Case Western Reserve University and Cornell University.

Her research explores non-coding RNAs and their roles in gene expression, with recent work on immune cell function and pancreatic beta-cell pathology linked to diabetes. She employs single-cell sequencing and molecular engineering techniques to advance understanding of cellular mechanisms in health and disease.

• Awards: Robert & Vanne Cowie Teaching Award (2022), CRISTEL Award (2022–2023), Prodo Labs Best Talk Award (2020), and multiple fellowships including the Burroughs Wellcome Fellowship (2005–2006).

Teaching includes courses like BME 2010 (Physiology of Health/Disease), BME 3010 (Cellular Principles), and BME 5830 (Cell-Biomaterial Interactions). Her pedagogy aims to bridge foundational concepts with clinical and engineering applications.

Research outputs span diabetes mechanisms, RNA stress responses, and single-cell profiling. Collaborations include studies on GLP-1 receptor signaling, beta-cell differentiation, and tiRNA functions in apoptosis.