Three PhD scholars from the Inter University Centre for Biomedical Research and Super Speciality Hospital (IUCBR & SSH) at Mahatma Gandhi University (MGU) have received travel grants to attend Neuroscience 2026, the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience (SfN), scheduled to be held in Washington, D.C., USA, from November 14 to 18. All three scholars are researching different aspects of Parkinson’s disease, a progressive neurological disorder.
Jimna Mohammed Ameer and Sakeena Asmi, who are pursuing their doctoral research under the supervision of Dr. Goutam Chandra, have received travel awards from the International Brain Research Organization (IBRO)–Society for Neuroscience (SfN) and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), respectively.
Jimna’s research focuses on how problems in mitochondria (the energy-producing parts of cells) and the endolysosomal system (which helps cells break down and remove waste) contribute to Parkinson’s disease. She aims to understand how these problems lead to the degeneration of nerve cells and identify potential treatments for the disease.
Sakeena Asmi’s research focuses on understanding Parkinson’s disease at the cellular and molecular levels, including the mechanisms that contribute to neurodegeneration. Their work aims to shed light on the processes underlying the disease and may contribute to the development of improved therapeutic approaches.
Another PhD student, Nishad Keethedeth received travel support from the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF), Government of India, and The Company of Biologists, UK. Working under the supervision of Dr. Rajesh A. Shenoi, he researches mitochondria-targeted drug delivery using nanocarriers, an approach with potential applications in treating Parkinson’s disease and other mitochondrial disorders.
The three scholars will present their research at Neuroscience 2026, providing an opportunity to share their findings with the international neuroscience community.
Mahatma Gandhi University congratulates the scholars, their supervisors and research teams on this achievement and wishes them success at the conference.
