Satyajit Mayor

Satyajit Mayor, also known as Jitu Mayor, is a Senior Professor and Director at the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS), part of the Tata Institute for Fundamental Research (TIFR), and also serves as Director at the Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine (inStem) in Bangalore, India. His work focuses on membrane organization and endocytosis.

Education:

• Masters in Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai (1985)
• Ph.D. in Life Sciences, The Rockefeller University, New York (1991)

Research Interests: His laboratory employs a multidisciplinary approach to investigate cell membrane organization and dynamics. Key contributions include developing new tools like fluorescence anisotropy microscopy and quantitative physical methodologies to study nanoscale and mesoscale membrane structures. He proposed a paradigm shift in understanding cell membranes as active composites integrating fluid lipid bilayers with dynamic cortical cytoskeletons, requiring active mechanics frameworks. His work also elucidates non-canonical endocytic pathways independent of clathrin and dynamin.

Scientific Awards and Memberships:

• Fellow of the Indian Academy of Sciences
• Fellow of the National Academy of Sciences (India)
• Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry
• Foreign Fellow of EMBO
• Foreign Associate of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States
• International Member of the US National Academy of Sciences (elected 2015)

Labs and Teams: Mayor leads a research laboratory at NCBS, pioneering innovative concepts and tools for membrane biology. His directorship at inStem expands his impact into stem cell biology and regenerative medicine, fostering interdisciplinary collaborations.