Shailendra Dhakal, Post-doctoral Researcher

Shailendra is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the lab of Clotilde Lagier-Tourenne within the Department of Neurology at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School. Currently, he is working on Cell Painting of human iPSC-derived neurons containing ALS/FTD mutations. Cell Painting is a high-content, multiplexed image-based screening assay used to analyze the spatial organization of cellular structures and components using different antibodies and fluorescent dyes. Using Cell Painting, Shailendra’s goal is to identify disease-associated phenotypic profiles that may be used for small molecule and CRISPR optical pooled screens to identify potential therapeutic targets.

He earned his undergraduate degree in Pharmacy from Tribhuvan University, Nepal, and subsequently completed a PhD at the University of Southern Mississippi before joining Harvard as a research fellow. During his doctoral studies, Shailendra investigated the heterotypic interaction between alpha-synuclein and TDP-43, crucially implicated in Parkinson's Disease and ALS/FTD, respectively. The research delved into unraveling the molecular mechanisms underlying the interplay between alpha-synucleinopathies and TDP-43 proteinopathies, employing comprehensive biophysical, biochemical, molecular biology, and immunohistological approaches.

Apart from research, Shailendra spends his time learning music, playing musical instruments, and doing barbecue.

You can reach out to him at sdhakal2@mgh.harvard.edu