Madhu G. Tapadia is a professor at the Banaras Hindu University, India. She is also a
member of the InSDB board for 2024-2025.
Hello, Madhu! Please give us an intro to yourself and your journey into the field of
developmental biology.
Hello! I trained as a geneticist and a cytogeneticist. My introduction to the field of
developmental biology was unexpected and serendipitous. During my PhD, I researched
non-coding heat shock proteins, specifically hsr-omega in Drosophila. After completing my
PhD, I decided not to pursue a postdoc abroad; instead, I remained in India and joined as
a project associate at the National Institute of Immunology. The work there focused on
studying mouse infertility. I returned to BHU and joined as a scientist in a DST-sponsored
National Confocal laser scanning microscopy facility. Later, as I transitioned to a regular
faculty role and started my research lab, I was certain that I did not want to continue the
same work I did during my PhD or postdoc; I wanted to pursue something different but
continue working on the Drosophila model. I started reading ‘The Development of
Drosophila melanogaster’ Edited by Michael Bates and Alfonso Martinez Arias. While going
through the various chapters, I came across a statement that caught my attention. It
mentioned that during the pupal stage, all of the larval tissues undergo extensive
remodeling except for the Malpighian tubules in Drosophila. I became interested and began
by asking why these tubules are not undergoing any programmed cell death pathways, and
how they evade apoptosis. My journey in developmental biology began at that moment.
And where has this question led you? What are the current research interests in your
lab?
I set up my lab in 2006 and currently, have four PhD students and a Post-Doc working in my
lab. We recognized that caspases, enzymes that are required for apoptosis, also have a nonapoptotic role and are involved in the development of the Malpighian tubules. We have
gained global recognition as a research lab, focusing on the non-lethal functions of caspases.
We have shown that in executioner caspase, Drice mutants, Malpighian tubules develop
polycystic kidney-like phenotype and we have results to show that feeding on a certain
Ayurveda formulation reduces these cysts. Other than this, we also study the
neurodegeneration pathways in Huntington’s disease using the fly model. We also examined
the impact of certain Ayurvedic formulations on Huntington’s disease and found that these
formulations should be used under proper guidance. For Huntington, if you take certain
formulations, it aggravates the disease. Along with this, I also teach undergraduate and
postgraduate students at BHU.
You mentioned that it has been 18 years since you started your independent research.
How has the community changed since then?
There is a lot of progress in the last 18 years. A lot of institutes like IISERs and NISERs have
come up. A lot more scientists with good training have set their labs up and a lot of funds are
available. Many researchers from abroad have acquired expertise in different techniques
that help them understand development in real time. Development biology was introduced
in the Universities in India a long time ago, however at present networking has become
more vibrant and meaningful. I became a member sometime in the 2000s. My first meeting,
I think, was at IIT Kanpur. I also remember a meeting at TIFR-Mumbai. The experience has
been really good. It’s nice when people come to you and ask about your work, and I
especially like it when students ask me about my research. That’s the best reward for me –
when your research catches a student’s eye and interests them.
You also teach undergraduate students. How do you think InSDB can increase its
outreach and engagement with students and the broader public?
I was thinking about how to reach out to the larger society in India. If we can have zone-wise
local chapters, that would be a great way to increase our reach. For example, I would know
a lot of people in my area who are doing developmental biology research but are not aware
of how InSDB can benefit them. We can start with small workshops and teaching modules.
We could have these modules up on the website. We could also have live chat or discussion
sessions with students and faculty members. This will help students if they are stuck at
some point in their work. We can also have student flash talks now and then as well. These
are some of the ideas that came to my mind.
Finally, how has your journey so far been?
The journey has been personally very satisfying for me. It is slowly progressing and I am in
no hurry! I enjoy the time I spend doing this.
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You can connect with Madhu here.
