Clark Lab

Molecular mechanisms driving age-related macular degeneration

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Sonika Rathi

Surname Rathi
First name Sonika
Nationality Indian
Present position and title Post-doctoral research associate

Business address

Institute for Ophthalmic Research
Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen
Elfriede-Aulhorn-Strasse 7
D-72076 Tübingen,
Germany

Phone: +49 7071 29-87894
E-mail: rathisonika7[at]gmail.com

Academic Education

Year Degree University Field of study
2010-2016 Doctor of Philosophy L .V Prasad Eye Institute / University of Hyderabad Biochemistry
2007-2009 Master of Sciences VIT University Biomedical Genetics
2003-2007 Bachelor of Sciences Holkar  Science College, D.A.V.V. University Biotechnology

Professional Experience

Period Institution Position Discipline
2018-2019 University of Pennsylvania Postdoctoral Fellow Primary Open Angle Glaucoma
2017-2018 L.V. Prasad Eye Institute Research Associate Age related anterior segment eye diseases

Professional Activities and Functions

Presentations

October 23-26, 2019 Oral presentation entitled “Molecular genetics and functional analysis indicate CDKN2BAS1- CDKN2B involvement in POAG pathogenesis in African Americans “at ISER/Bright Focus Glaucoma Symposium held on in Atlanta, Georgia.
May 27-30, 2017 Presented poster entitled “Molecular Genetics and Functional Analysis Indicate Novel Genes Involvement in Retinopathy of Prematurity” at European Human Genetics Conference 2017, held  in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Jan 28-30, 2015 Oral presentation entitled “Abnormal complement activation leads to pathological neovascularization in subjects with Retinopathy of Prematurity” at 40th Annual conference of the Indian Society of Human Genetics and International Symposium on Genomics in Health and Diseases being held at National Institute on Immunohematology, Mumbai, India.
July 26-27, 2014 Oral presentation entitled “Complement components play a major role in pathogenesis of Retinopathy of Prematurity” at India Eye Research Group ARVO-India Chapter (IERG-ARVO-IC) held in Hyderabad, India.
Oct. 28 – 31,2013 Oral presentation entitled “Role of Complement component and Extracellular matrix proteins in Retinopathy of Prematurity” at Asia ARVO 2013 held in Delhi, India.
Dec 1-3-2011 Oral presentation entitled “Quantitative Analysis of Vitreous Humor Reveals Distinct Protein Profile in patients with Retinopathy of Prematurity” in VI Asia –Pacific Vitreo-retina Society Congress held  in Hyderabad, India.

Academic Awards

2019 Travel award for the ISER/Bright Focus Glaucoma Symposium 2019, abstract selected for young investigator podium session for oral presentation
2017 Travel award by European Society of Human Genetics for attending the European conference of Human Genetics 2017, abstract selected for best poster presentation candidate in the same conference.
2015 Young Scientist Award in 40th Annual conference of the Indian Society of Human Genetics and International Symposium on Genomics in Health and Diseases
2014 Awarded with DST travel fellowship for attending international conference
2014 Awarded for best oral presentation in basic science in India Eye Research Group ARVO-India Chapter (IERG-ARVO-IC)
2011 Awarded with AMJAD RAHI prize for best oral presentation in Basic Sciences in Indian Eye Research Group 2011 conference.

Past and Current Funding

2010-2012 Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) JRF fellowship
2012-2015 Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) SRF fellowship

Selected Publications

  1. Rathi S, Danford I, Gudiseva HV, Verkuil L, Pistilli M, Vishwakarma S, Kaur I, Dave T, O'Brien JM, Chavali VRM. Molecular Genetics and Functional Analysis Implicate CDKN2BAS1-CDKN2B Involvement in POAG Pathogenesis. Cells. 2020 Aug 21;9(9):E1934. doi: 10.3390/cells9091934.
  2. Chavali VRM, Haider N, Rathi S, Vrathasha V, Alapati T, He J, Gill K, Nikonov R, Duong TT, McDougald DS, Nikonov S, O'Brien J, Mills JA. Dual SMAD inhibition and Wnt inhibition enable efficient and reproducible differentiations of induced pluripotent stem cells into retinal ganglion cells. Sci Rep. 2020 Jul 16;10(1):11828. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-68811-8.
  3. Porter LF, Saptarshi N, Fang Y, Rathi S, den Hollander AI, de Jong EK, Clark SJ, Bishop PN, Olsen TW, Liloglou T, Chavali VRM, Paraoan L. Whole-genome methylation profiling of the retinal pigment epithelium of individuals with age-related macular degeneration reveals differential methylation of the SKI, GTF2H4, and TNXB genes. Clin Epigenetics. 2019 Jan 14; 11(1):6. Doi: 10.1186/s13148-019-0608-2.
  4.  Verkuil L, Danford I, Pistilli M, Collins DW, Gudiseva HV, Trachtman BT, He J, Rathi S, Haider N, Ying GS, Chavali VRM, O' Brien JM. SNP located in an AluJb repeat downstream of TMCO1, rs4657473, is protective for POAG in African Americans. Br J Ophthalmol. 2019 Oct;103(10):1530-1536. doi:10.1136/bjophthalmol-2018-313086. Epub 2019 Mar 12.
  5. Kabra M*, Zhang W*, Rathi S, Mandal AK, Senthil S, Pyatla G, Ramappa M, Banerjee S, Shekhar K, Marmamula S, Mettla AL, Kaur I, Khanna RC, Khanna H, Chakrabarti S. Angiopoietin receptor TEK interacts with CYP1B1 in primary congenital glaucoma. Hum Genet. 2017 Jun 15. Doi: 10.1007/s00439-017-1823-6.
  6. Rathi S, Jalali S, Musada GR, Patnaik S, Balakrishnan D, Hussain A, Kaur I. Mutation spectrum of NDP, FZD4 and TSPAN12 genes in Indian patients with retinopathy of prematurity. Br J Ophthalmol. 2018 Feb;102(2):276-281. doi:10.1136/bjophthalmol-2017- 310958. Epub 2017 Oct 5. PubMed PMID: 28982955.
  7.  Rathi S, Jalali S, Patnaik S, Shahulhameed S, Musada GR, Balakrishnan D, Rani PK, Kekunnaya R, Chhablani PP, Swain S, Giri L, Chakrabarti S, Kaur I. Abnormal Complement Activation and Inflammation in the Pathogenesis of Retinopathy of Prematurity. Front Immunol. 2017 Dec 22;8: 1868. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2017.01868. eCollection 2017.
  8. Kaur I, Rathi S, Chakrabarti S. Variations in TIMP3 are associated with age-related macular degeneration. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2010, 107: E112-3.