معرفی
Dr. Aruna Kilaru is a Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences within the School of Science, Engineering, and Math at East Tennessee State University. Her office is located in Brown Hall, Room 409, and she can be reached at kilaru@etsu.edu or by phone at 423-439-6931.
Dr. Kilaru received her academic training internationally, earning her Ph.D. in Environmental and Evolutionary Biology from the University of Louisiana, Lafayette, USA, her M.Sc. in Biotechnology from Maharaja Sayajirao University in Vadodara, India, and her B.Sc. in Botany, Zoology & Chemistry from St. Theresa's College, Andhra University, Eluru, India.
Her research program focuses on improving crop productivity through modification of lipid metabolism for storage oil biosynthesis and stress responses in plants. Dr. Kilaru's lab studies lipid synthesis and signaling at multiple levels - biochemical, cellular, physiological and molecular. A particular emphasis is placed on understanding the regulation of nutritionally rich storage oils and lipid-mediated stress response pathways. Her lab utilizes diverse methodologies ranging from scanning electron microscopy to advanced 'omic' approaches.
Dr. Kilaru has received recognition for her work, most notably the ASPB's 2015 Women's Young Investigator Travel Award. Her research has been supported by significant grants, including an NSF grant that was featured in university news in 2015.
She actively mentors students at all levels, currently supervising a postdoctoral associate, Ph.D. candidates and students, MS students, and an undergraduate researcher. Her lab provides training opportunities for students interested in plant biochemistry and molecular biology, with a focus on understanding the molecular and biochemical regulation of lipid biosynthesis and lipid-mediated stress signaling in plants.
Dr. Kilaru teaches BIOL 3420-Plant Biology and BIOL 4147/5147-Biochemistry of Macromolecules Lecture, courses that align closely with her research expertise in plant lipid metabolism.
