Shashi Shekhar Singh received his M.Sc. in Biotechnology and Ph.D. in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry from Jawaharlal Nehru University, India, in 2019, under the mentorship of Prof. Sudha Bhattacharya. His doctoral research revealed the multifaceted role of the enzyme Rrp6 in RNA homeostasis and stress response in Entamoeba histolytica, contributing to a deeper understanding of parasitic biology and RNA dynamics.
As a postdoctoral fellow with Dr. Srinivasan Dasarathy at the Cleveland Clinic, Shashi investigated cellular stress responses, particularly focusing on hyperammonemia’s effects on skeletal muscle protein homeostasis. His research uncovered novel roles of RhBG, an ammonia transporter that also acts as a transceptor, mediating intracellular transport and activating NFκB signaling. This discovery provides valuable insights for developing therapeutic strategies targeting chronic diseases. In 2022, Shashi cross-linked to the Luna Lab, where he currently explores RNA editing, particularly ADAR-based programmable A-to-I editing, to modulate gene expression and protein function by altering pre-mRNA splicing or recoding at the amino acid level. Additionally, with collaboration he develops innovative tools to map RNA-protein interactions with spatial precision, advancing the understanding of subcellular RNA-protein dynamics.
Shashi is deeply committed to mentoring aspiring scientists and advancing RNA biology. Outside the lab, Shashi swaps pipettes for hiking boots—because why map just RNA-protein interactions when you can aim to map every trail in America? When he’s not out in nature, he fine-tunes his yoga poses with the same precision he brings to RNA editing in the lab and spends quality time with his wife, son, and loved ones back in India, keeping his signaling pathways for laughter and connection active.
