Darshan Sapkota

Darshan Sapkota is an Assistant Professor in Biological Sciences at The University of Texas at Dallas (UT Dallas), part of the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics. He holds a Ph.D. in Developmental Neurobiology from SUNY Buffalo (2014) and a Postdoctoral training in Molecular Neurobiology from Washington University in St. Louis (2021). Prior to UT Dallas, he served as a Lecturer at Yichun University School of Medicine (China, 2007–2008) and Universal College of Medical Sciences (Nepal, 2003–2007).

His research focuses on mRNA translation regulation in brain function and disease, particularly exploring atypical protein variants generated through alternative translation mechanisms. Key projects include studying AQP4 readthrough isoforms’ role in neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and investigating stop codon readthrough in retinal and neurological contexts. His lab employs techniques such as molecular biology, transcriptomics, translatomics, and mouse genetics.

• Education: Ph.D. (2014), Postdoc (2021), M.Sc. (2003)
• Grants: Includes funding from Ono Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. ($521,685), NIA ($1,047,000), and the McDonnell Center
• Awards: Rockford Draper Award (2021), K99/R00 Grant (2019)

Scientific achievements include identifying AQP4X’s role in amyloid-beta clearance and developing tools for probing brain translation dynamics. Current projects explore AQP4X’s impact on stroke and neuromyelitis optica, alongside mechanism studies of readthrough regulation.