Akshayakeerthi Arthanarisami

Akshayakeerthi grew up in Salem, Tamil Nadu, India and earned a Bachelor of Technology in Biotechnology (Honors) degree from SASTRA Deemed to be University in Thanjavur, India.  While pursuing her undergraduate degree at SASTRA, Askshayakeerthi conducted research under the mentorship of Dr. Gino Kurian, studying mitochondiral dysfunction and oxidative stress in cardiac ischemia-reperfusion injury.  Her academic journey expanded through the Semester Abroad Program and continued work as a visiting researcher, where she investigated the molecular mechanisms of kidney injury/repair and interorgan crosstalk under the guidance of Drs. Andreas Herrlich and Eirini Kefalogianni at Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis, Missouri.  Akshayakeerthi is co-mentored by Drs. Andrew Grimson and Brian Rudd and is currently focused on characterizing CD163L1 as a marker for fetal-derived CD8+ T cells and investigating its impact on the CD8+ T cell response to infection.