I was born and raised in Guntur, South India, (home of Asia’s spiciest red chilli) and moved to the United States in 2017 to pursue vision science. Outside the lab, I am the emotional and financial support person to my dog and cat; during the rare minutes they allow me to be alone, I enjoy acrylic painting and rewatching Marvel movies. Research statement: Corneal blindness represents a major global health challenge, and addressing it requires mechanism‑driven innovation. As an Optometrist and vision science researcher, I am committed to advancing therapeutic strategies that preserve corneal transparency. My early research focused on TGF‑β1–mediated corneal fibrosis, investigating how TGF‑β1 signaling drives myofibroblast formation and stromal matrix remodeling. I have worked on protein‑based approaches to selectively silence TGF‑β1 activity, and I have studied corneal epithelial and stromal wound‑healing responses using mouse models. Building on this foundation, I am now interested in learning more about corneal endothelial cells, which maintain corneal transparency and are central to the pathophysiology of Fuchs endothelial dystrophy. During my first‑year rotation, I hope to contribute to ongoing work in Raji Shyam’s lab, which investigates the onset and progression of Fuchs dystrophy using molecular biology, animal models, and omics‑based approaches.