Our Team

[Su-pruh-jaa Va-rah-dah-rah-jan]

Principal Investigator

supraja.varadarajan@utsouthwestern.edu
I’ve been enthusiastic and curious about Biology for as long as I can remember. I was born and raised in Bangalore, India, and I moved to the US to pursue a Masters in Biomedical Engineering. I ended up falling in love with neuroscience and more specifically with axons. I earned my PhD in Neuroscience from UCLA in Samantha Butler’s lab, where I studied axon guidance in the developing spinal cord. Wanting to apply these developmental principles to rebuilding neural circuits, I joined Andrew Huberman’s lab at Stanford for my postdoc, where I focused on understanding the role of neural activity in promoting axon regeneration in the visual system.
Scientific Interests: I joined the Department of Neuroscience at UT Southwestern in Jan 2024. Our lab continues to identify mechanisms that promote visual repair, with a specific focus on axon regeneration and reconnectivity.
Life outside the lab: Spending time with my two sons and husband, baking, reading, puzzle-solving

Research Assistant

houda.chamseddine@utsouthwestern.edu
I am a recent graduate of the University of Texas at Arlington where I completed a master’s in health psychology/neuroscience. During my time in graduate school, my primary focus was on understanding potential neuroendocrine factors that mediate sex differences in opioid withdrawal. I was specifically interested in ovarian hormones and their influence on opioid addiction. February 2024, I joined the Varadarajan lab as a research assistant and am excited to learn new techniques and be part of the team!
Life outside the lab: My interests outside of the lab include drawing, visiting art museums, and geocaching.

Summer Student

hannah.bajaj@utsouthwestern.edu
I am a third-year student at Tulane University studying Neuroscience and Computer Science on the pre-medical track. With a strong interest in utilizing technological advances to address scientific and medical challenges, I plan to use my interdisciplinary background to improve outcomes. My technological research experiences include working with Dr. Sam Landry at the Tulane School of Medicine on antigen-processing & protein interaction as well as running a clinical trial with Dr. Meghan Howell on using heart-rate variability as a potential indicator for preterm birth & pre-eclampsia among expecting mothers in the New Orleans community. Now at the Varadarajan lab, I aim to further our understanding of the signals involved in reconnecting regenerating axons in the visual system, and to help develop innovative strategies for repairing neural circuits.
Life outside of the lab: I enjoy competitive dancing, spending time with friends & family, traveling, and baking!

Research Assistant

benjamin.chandy@utsouthwestern.edu
Bio:
I am a graduate from Texas A&M University where I received my bachelor’s in biomedical engineering with a focus on biomolecular and cellular engineering. I am also planning on applying to medical school in 2025, with hopes of becoming an Ophthalmologist. While in school, I was interested in learning about cellular regeneration and how it can be used for regenerative medicine. Now, as a member of the Varadarajan lab, I am excited for the opportunity to study the processes behind axon regeneration in the visual system and how we can manipulate it for clinical use.

Life outside the lab: Outside of the lab, I enjoy rowing, exploring new restaurants, and playing games