Cell scientist to watch – Piya Ghose

Piya Ghose is an Assistant Professor of Biology at the University of Texas (UT) at Arlington in the USA. Piya obtained her undergraduate degree in biology at the University of Calcutta in India and PhD in neuroscience at Rutgers University (New Jersey, USA). There, she studied the genetics of Caenorhabditis elegans neuronal stress responses in Chris Rongo's lab. Her interest in how cells survive adverse conditions led her to a postdoctoral fellowship with Shai Shaham at Rockefeller University (New York, USA), where her path shifted to understanding how cells choose to die. Piya started her independent lab at UT-Arlington in 2020. Her team focuses on plotting out the intricate narratives involved in the developmentally programmed death of the C. elegans tail-spike cell (TSC). We spoke with Piya over Zoom to hear about how she applies her lifelong interest in storytelling to her research, teaching and mentorship, and how improv theatre can make you a better scientist.