Abhinava is interested in understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying cell-cell communication during development and disease and harnessing this knowledge into translational research. He used the Drosophila model to identify a handful of novel interacting partners of Notch signaling pathway such as TRAF6, Misshapen, Importin alpha3, and Chip during the graduate studies. He further elucidated the functional significance of these interactions with a combination of genetics, cell biology, and molecular biology approaches. Currently, his goal is to learn how cells coordinate the activities of Rho GTPases, in time and space, to promote cell migration or engulfment in different contexts. His work in Drosophila border cells has unraveled a previously unidentified role of myosin in cell communication during collective chemotaxis. His areas of experience include cell biology, genetics, and developmental biology.
