Sougata Roy

Sougata Roy is an Associate Professor in the Department of Cell Biology & Molecular Genetics at the University of Maryland, College Park. His research focuses on cell-cell communication during development, particularly the role of cytonemes and FGF signaling in Drosophila. He holds a PhD from the Indian Institute of Science (2006) and completed postdoctoral training at UCSF (2006-2014). His lab investigates how cells coordinate via morphogenetic signals to form complex tissues, with recent breakthroughs in cytoneme-mediated signaling mechanisms. Roy has secured significant NIH funding, including a $2.5M NIH/NIGMS Outstanding Investigator Award (R35) and NIH/NHLBI grants. He teaches advanced courses in cell biology and bioinformatics. Key contributions include discoveries on FGF cleavage, GPI-anchored FGF regulation, and cytoneme dynamics in tracheal and muscle development. His work integrates live-cell imaging, genetic manipulation, and super-resolution microscopy to unravel signaling pathways critical for development and disease.