Herman B Wells Center for Pediatric Research
Center for Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases
Indiana University School of Medicine
Jason Spaeth, PhD
Jason launched his research program as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at Indiana University School of Medicine in January of 2019. He completed his postdoctoral tenure in Nashville, TN at Vanderbilt University in the lab of Roland Stein. While there, he worked on several projects centered around islet cell function. He made seminal contributions to understanding how the Foxp1, Foxp2 and Foxp4 transcription factors control postnatal islet alpha cell proliferation and function and characterized a gene enhancer deletion mutant of the Pdx1 gene that influences Pdx1 expression and islet beta cell maturation during weaning in vivo. His most current work unveiled the contributions of how the Swi/Snf chromatin remodeling complex controls pancreas formation by promoting pancreatic progenitor cell proliferation and provided the first evidence for how Swi/Snf mediates mature islet β-cell function and maintenance of identity in vivo.
Jason and his wife Aubrey have a daughter, son, and a household of pets. Jason enjoys spending time with his family camping, hiking, canoeing, playing baseball/softball and traveling! While not in the lab or office working, Jason also like to spend his free time woodworking.
Current Lab Members
Sukrati Kanojia, MS
PhD Student
Sukrati has spent the majority of her life in India, where she obtained her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Biotechnology and worked as an Research Associate for about a year at 3BBlackBio Biotech India, Bhopal, where she was a part of the R&D team involved in development of PCR based molecular diagnostic kits for HPV, HIV and Tuberculosis. After moving to the US, she received her 2nd Masters of Science degree from the Indiana University, in the lab of Dr. Carmella Evans-Molina, where she studied the role of microRNA 146a-5p in regulation of Stromal Interaction Molecule 1 and store operated calcium entry in pancreatic beta cells under cytokine mediated stress. After completing her Masters, she began work on her PhD through the Indiana University School of Medicine Biomedical Gateway program. After her rotations, she joined the Spaeth lab where her work will be focusing on understanding and establishing the role of SND1 (Staphylococcal nuclease and Tudor domain containing protein) as a coregulator recruited by Pdx1 in modulating beta cell function.
When Sukrati is not in the lab, she may be found in the kitchen trying out some new recipes as she enjoys cooking. She also loves to travel, trying out the local cuisines, trekking and camping in the wild as time allows! Apart from research, she feels passionately about woman empowerment. Occasionally she enjoys dancing to the Bollywood beats, watching historical documentaries and she loves cats.
Avinil Das Sharma, MS
PhD Student
Born and raised in the city of Kolkata, India, Avinil obtained his bachelor's degree from the University of Calcutta with honours in Zoology and a master's degree in Biochemistry from Banaras Hindu University. After obtaining his master's degree, Avinil worked as a junior research fellow at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research in Bhopal, where he developed chemical biology-based approaches to label phospholipids in mammalian cells and discover the lipid-interacting proteome. Thereafter, he worked as a senior research fellow at the CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, where his research focused on human adipose tissue to better understand the role of adipokines in ageing in obese/non-obese and diabetic/non-diabetic patients, as well as developing and screening PPAR-gamma agonists for the treatment of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. After completing his rotations under the IBMG PhD program at IU School of Medicine, Avinil joined the Spaeth Lab where he will be focusing on the role of CHD4 in beta cell development and function.
Beyond the confines of laboratory walls, an avid football (soccer) enthusiast, his heart beats true for Manchester United, nurturing a cherished dream of witnessing their prowess firsthand at Old Trafford. A connoisseur of cinematic marvels, Avinil delights in unravelling the intricate depths of beloved characters from Star Wars and the enigmatic psyche of Batman, engaging in spirited discussions!
