Rohini Pallikkara Suresh

PhD Student, Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, University of Manitoba.

I am an incoming PhD student in the Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology at the University of Manitoba, beginning Fall 2025. My research will focus on cardiac fibrosis, particularly the metabolic pathways that drive the differentiation of fibroblasts into myofibroblasts in the context of cardiac injury.

I recently completed my Master’s degree in the Department of Biochemistry and Medical Genetics at the University of Manitoba, where my work centered on the molecular mechanisms involved in myocardial infarction, fibroblast activation, and tissue repair. I successfully defended my thesis in March 2025 and am currently working as a summer research student in Dr. Michael Czubryt’s lab, where I will continue my doctoral studies.

Prior to my graduate studies, I gained hands-on experience in preclinical research and drug toxicity studies as part of the R&D team at Jubilant Biosys through the BCIL-DBT-BITP program. I also conducted research at the Indian Institute of Science, where I investigated DNA repair protein expression and molecular inhibition pathways related to cellular stress and repair mechanisms.

I am proficient in a range of molecular biology techniques, including Western blotting, immunohistochemistry, and RNAi-mediated gene knockdown, and skilled in data analysis and presentation using Microsoft Excel, Word, and PowerPoint. I am passionate about cardiovascular research and committed to contributing to meaningful advancements in the understanding and treatment of cardiac fibrosis through collaborative and translational science.

"Water-Soluble SCR7 Can Abrogate DNA End Joining and Induce Cancer Cell Death", in the journal Clinical Oncology and Research (Vol. 1, pp. 1-7; DOI: 10.31487/j.COR2020.07.09).

• Determining the Role of ZEB1 and ZEB2 in Controlling Fibroblast Activation, under Dr. Jeffrey Wigle, Dept. Of Biochemistry and Medical Genetics, University of Manitoba, 2025 (Under review by the committee members).
• Expression analysis of DNA repair proteins in different cancer cell lines and the effect of water soluble version of SCR7 as a molecular inhibitor of nonhomologous end joining pathway, Dr. Sathees C Raghavan, Dept. Of Biochemistry, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, 2019
• Invitro Evaluation of the Antioxidant properties in Different Fruit Extracts, Dr. Viji Mary Varghese, Dept. Of Biotechnology, St. Joseph's College, Irinjalakkuda, Thrissur, 2017

• Aspire Scholarship, 2019, Department of Collegiate Education, Government of Kerala
• BCIL-DBT-BITP Industrial Training Programme, 2019-2020

• Date of birth: 04/28/96
• Nationality: Indian
• Marital status: Married

• Dr. Michael Czubryt, Executive Director of Research, St. Boniface Hospital; Professor, Dept. Physiol. & Pathophysiol., University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada, michael.czubryt@umanitoba.ca, Phone: (204) 235-3719
• Dr. Jeffrey Wigle, Associate professor and department head, Department of Biochemistry and Medical Genetics, University of Manitoba, winnipeg, Canada, jeffrey.wigle@umanitoba.ca, Phone: 204-235-3953,
• Dr. Thomas Netticadan, Principal investigator, Canadian centre for agrifood research in health and medicine, Thomas. netticadan@ AGR.GC.CA, Phone: 204-235-3206
• Dr. Soorej M. Basheer, Assistant Professor & Head, Department of Molecular Biology, Dr. P.K. Rajan Memorial Campus, Kannur University, Nileshwar, Kasargode District, Kerala, 671314, soorejmb@gmail.com, +91 9663749475