Piali Sengupta

Piali Sengupta is a Professor of Biology at Brandeis University, holding the Harold and Bernice Davis Chair in Aging and Neurodegenerative Disease. She is also affiliated with the Neuroscience Program and the Benjamin and Mae Volen National Center for Complex Systems at Brandeis.

Education:

• Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• B.A., Bryn Mawr College (Summa Cum Laude)

Research Overview: Her lab investigates the neurogenetics of sensory behaviors, focusing on how C. elegans detects and processes environmental cues like chemicals and temperature. This includes studying cilia biology, neuronal signaling, and how internal states (e.g., hunger, experience) modulate sensory responses. These mechanisms are critical for understanding human neurological disorders linked to sensory pathway disruptions.

Scientific Awards:

• Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellowship
• Searle Scholars Award
• Whitehall Award
• Packard Fellowship in Science and Engineering
• NIH MERIT Award
• Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
• Harold and Bernice Davis Chair

Collaborative and Biomedical Impact: Her work combines genetic tools, live imaging, and behavioral assays to dissect cilia formation and sensory signal transduction. The lab’s findings on neuronal plasticity and microbiome-neurotransmitter interactions have broad implications for neurodegenerative diseases and host-microbe dynamics.