Nishtha Ranawat, Ph.D.

Nishtha completed her undergraduate studies in India, and thereafter moved to Okinawa, Japan to complete her Ph.D. In April 2020, she graduated from Prof. Ichiro Masai's lab at Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Japan. Her graduate work focused on understanding mechanisms underlying migration of microglia precursors into the developing retina of zebrafish embryos. Nishtha also studied transcriptome change and cellular heterogeneity in microglia populations during early stages of zebrafish development. Here at the Burke Neurological Institute, Nishtha looks forward to switching gears to study neuronal circuitry involved in skilled motor movements in mice. Outside the lab, she enjoys hiking, watching movies, and dancing.