Pankaj Baral, Ph.D.
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
Ph.D.- Mahidol University, Thailand
Postdoc- Louisiana State University, LA
Postdoc- Harvard Medical School, MA
Pankaj was born in Nepal. He received B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees from Tribhuvan University. Pankaj completed his Ph.D. in 2013 from Mahidol University, Thailand, in Dr. Pongsak Utaisincharoen’s laboratory and then started working with Dr. Samithamby Jeyaseelan’s group at Louisiana State University as a postdoc. In 2015, Pankaj began his second postdoc in the lab of Dr. Isaac Chiu at Harvard Medical School, where he found a deep interest in neuroimmunology research. He joined the K-State Division of Biology in September 2020 as an Assistant professor. Besides research, Pankaj loves to spend time with his wife and two kids. His other hobbies are watching movies, running, and traveling.
Sandeep Adhikari
Ph.D. Student - Kansas State University
E-mail: sadhikari@ksu.edu
Sandeep hails from western Nepal. He finished his M.S. in Molecular Physiology from Southern Illinois University and joined Baral lab in Fall 2021. He is interested in understanding the role of neuroimmune interactions in lung infection. He plans to use various molecular tools to understand these interactions. In his spare time, Sandeep enjoys being outside- hiking, playing soccer with friends, and exploring the places.
Prabhu Joshi
Ph.D. Student - Kansas State University
E-mail: prjoshi@ksu.edu
Prabhu joined the Division of Biology, Kansas State University, in Fall 2021. He was born and raised in Nepal, where he received M. Sc. degree in Medical Microbiology from Tribhuvan University. His previous research experiences are focused on investigating the transmission dynamics of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus between human and non-human primates and their environment. In Baral lab, he is interested in exploring the role of neurons in the regulation of lung defense to drug-resistant bacteria. Besides research, his interests are hiking, traveling, and playing soccer and volleyball.
Chinemerem Onah
M.S. Student - Kansas State Univeristy
B.S. - University of Nigeria
Chinemerem is from eastern Nigeria. After his undergraduate research in antibiotic resistance, he was spurred to seek alternative strategies to fight against bacterial pathogens. Hence, he opted to unite immunology and molecular biology for this aim. This brought him to Baral lab in Spring 2021 for his M.S. where he investigates the neuroimmune interactions in lung during infection. Chineme substitutes for any good activity available like soccer, interaction and hanging out with friends and listening to good music.
Michael Bartkoski
Undergraduate Student - Kansas State University
E-mail: michaelb145@ksu.edu
Michael is currently a Junior undergraduate student at Kansas State. He is majoring in Medical Biochemistry and is intending to enter medical school. Michael has been a member of Baral Lab since the Spring of 2021. Michael was drawn to Dr. Baral's lab because of his interest in understanding the bidirectional communication between neurons and immune cells. In particular, he is interested in learning how respiratory diseases impact neuroimmune interactions. In Michael’s spare time he enjoys being outside, running, and playing soccer with friends.
Camille Carrier
Undergraduate Student - Kansas State University
E-mail: ccarrier@ksu.edu
Camille is currently a Freshman undergraduate student at Kansas State. She is majoring in Medical Microbiology. Camille has been a member of our lab since Fall 2022. She was drawn to the lab because of her interest in interactions between immune response to lung infections. Camille's interests include reading, being with friends, baking, and embroidering.
Abigail Judd
Undergraduate Student - Kansas State University
E-mail: abigai21@ksu.edu
Abigail is currently a Sophomore undergraduate student at Kansas State. She is majoring in Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology. Abigail has been a member of Dr. Baral's Lab since Winter 2022. She is excited to learn more about pathology and the roles that neurons play during the host's immune response to an infection during her time in Dr. Baral's Lab. Abigail spends her free time reading, hanging out with her family, painting, and enjoying the outdoors.
Alumni:
Jared Long
Alumni - Kansas State University
Jared completed his B.S. in microbiology in May of 2022. When Jared was a member of Baral Lab, his is interests in the lab were surrounding macrophage receptors and their function in host defense and immunity. Figuring out how to improve the immune system and learning about its many functions are both major areas of interest for him. When he wasn't in the lab he spent his free time playing soccer, hanging out with friends, and fishing.
Allison Moore
Alumni - Kansas State University
Allison completed her BS in Biology at Kansas State University in May of 2022. When Allison was a member of Baral Lab, her main interest was to understand neuroimmune interactions in the lung. In her free time, Allison enjoys hiking with her golden retriever, hanging out with friends, running, and traveling.