Ms Visalakshi Veerappan

PhD Project: The role of free fatty acids in learning memory and neurodegeneration.

Supervisors: Dr. Tristan P Wallis & Prof. Frederic Meunier

About me: I graduated from Sathyabama University -Chennai, India with a BTech in Biotechnology.  I worked with Dr. Jayshree Nellore studying the complex interplay of genetic and environmental risk factors associated with Parkinson’s disease as an undergraduate researcher. Upon the completion of my bachelor’s, I worked in Pfizer, Chennai as a Regulatory Affairs associate liaising with European Medical Agency and supporting the market authorizations across the European Union.  I still had a calling to pursue a research career in Neuroscience and switched lanes to start my PhD. I am interested in answering the fundamental questions behind the process of learning and memory.  The free fatty acids (FFAs) derived from the membrane phospholipids undergo significant change due to phospholipase activity in the rodent brain during learning and memory. Despite their significant presence, their exact role remains largely unknown. I aim to understand the role of FFAs in memory acquisition and the impact of ageing and neurodegeneration on their levels using mass spectrometry techniques for my PhD research.

When not experimenting in the lab, you can find me experimenting in the kitchen, petting dogs, and on the coastal walks.