Sridevi Sureshkumar

Sridevi Sureshkumar is a Research Fellow in the School of Biological Sciences at Monash University, where she conducts cutting-edge research in molecular genetics and epigenetics using Arabidopsis thaliana as a model system. Her work focuses on gene regulation mechanisms, particularly alternative splicing and epigenetic silencing induced by triplet repeat expansions, with implications for both plant biology and human diseases like Friedreich ataxia.

• Academic Background:
• Ph.D. in Genetics and Molecular Biology, Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology (2011)

Her research integrates molecular biology, genomics, and bioinformatics to understand how environmental cues such as temperature influence gene expression through epigenetic and post-transcriptional mechanisms. She has made significant contributions to understanding thermosensory flowering and repeat expansion-induced gene silencing. Her recent publications in high-impact journals like Nature Plants and Cell highlight her leadership in these areas. She actively collaborates with Professor Sureshkumar Balasubramanian and has secured funding from the ARC and NHMRC for her projects.

The body of her recent work demonstrates a strong trend toward understanding gene regulation through repeat expansions and splicing dynamics, combining experimental and computational approaches. She has developed tools for quantifying splice-site usage and applies them to uncover the 'splicing code' across eukaryotes.

Scientific Awards:

• Mike Cullen Award (2018)

Sridevi Sureshkumar supervises research students and is involved in mentoring early-career researchers. She has been a Chief Investigator on multiple competitive research grants, including ARC and NHMRC projects focused on epigenetic regulation and molecular mechanisms of gene silencing. Her work is supported by advanced infrastructure such as real-time PCR machines and cell culture facilities.

She is part of a dynamic research team investigating thermomorphogenesis, epigenetic silencing, and splicing mechanisms, collaborating with national and international partners. Her lab utilizes Arabidopsis and human cell lines (e.g., Friedreich ataxia models) to bridge plant and medical research.