Ananya Dash

Emory University, Atlanta, GA

Thesis: Streptococcal M Protein Release in Antigenicity, Inflammation, and Virulence

University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, Telangana, India

Thesis: Prediction and Comparative Analysis of Iron-Dependent Gene Regulation in Mycobacterium species

• •Started a science-writing blog for Emory graduate students to highlight research by women scientists
• •Led a writing workshop on interviewing sources, reducing jargon, and producing engaging stories
• •Designed content to launch a Squarespace website for uploading articles

• •Published 9 stories (news features, study stories, and op-ed) on women's health and wellness trends
• •Interviewed 30+ experts, including scientists, physicians, and policymakers
• •Wrote weekly news roundups and cultural recommendations on science-themed media

• •Pitched and reported stories for Emory News, American Society for Microbiology, SciWri, Indian Scientists' Response to COVID-19, and a student-run magazine, SciCatalyst

• •Designed educational activities to effectively communicate "How Vaccines Work?"
• •Trained over 30+ volunteers to promote the science of vaccines and debunk misinformation

• •Taught STEM curricula & designed experiments to promote experiment-based learning in classrooms
• •Collected and researched questions for a study on whether rote learning diminishes curiosity among Indian students in schools

• •Served as a liaison to lead curriculum development with scientists and educators based in India & US
• •Collaborated with teachers and scientists to create pre-assessments, lesson plans, & repository of resources for a curriculum focused on antimicrobial resistance

• •Received American Heart Association fellowship for work at the nexus of infectious & heart diseases
• •Mentored 2 undergraduate and high-school students in independent research
• •Presented research at 5 national conferences and received 2 presentation awards
• •Led weekly paper discussions for cell biology to undergraduate students and taught bacterial genetics concepts to microbiology graduate students

• •Lead a student-run non-profit organization with a team of 20+ members to manage free-of-cost mentorship program for graduate and medical school applicants
• •Oversee communications and resource development to support 1000+ mentor-mentee matches via emails, newsletters, workshops, podcasts, and other social media platforms
• •Assist in the development of a new web platform to improve mentor-mentee matching efficiency
• •Mentored 10+ mentees from the US, India, Egypt, and Africa for graduate school applications

Do H, Li ZR, Tripathi PK, Mitra S, Guerra S, Dash A, Weerasekera D, Makthal N, Shama S, Aggarwal P, Singh AKB, Gu D, Du Y, Olsen RJ, LaRock DL, LaRock CN, Zhang W, & Kumaraswami M (2024). Engineered probiotic overcomes pathogen defences using signal interference and antibiotic production to treat infection in mice. Nature microbiology.View →

Ghimire OM, Sullivan T, Nepal J, Joshi P, Dash A (2024). Communicating Your Story: Value of Diversifying Communications in Research. CSA News.View →

Wilde S, Dash A, Johnson A, Mackey K, Okumura CYM, & LaRock CN (2023). Detoxification of reactive oxygen species by the hyaluronic acid capsule of group A Streptococcus. Infection and immunity.View →