Cell scientist to watch – Shashank Shekhar

ABSTRACT Shashank Shekhar is an Assistant Professor of Physics, Cell Biology and Biochemistry at Emory University, Atlanta, USA. Shashank graduated with a bachelor's degree in physics from Loyola College at the University of Madras, India, followed by dual master's degrees in molecular bioengineering from the Technische Universität Dresden, Germany and nanoscience from Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands. He completed his PhD in nanobiophysics at the University of Twente, The Netherlands, under the supervision of Vinod Subramaniam and Hans Kanger, where he studied phagosome maturation using biophysical tools. For his postdoctoral studies, Shashank first joined the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) in Gif-sur-Yvette, France, where he worked with Marie-France Carlier to investigate actin dynamics. He then moved to Brandeis University in Massachusetts, USA to collaborate with Jeff Gelles and Bruce Goode on single-molecule imaging of actin filament dynamics. In 2020, Shashank started his own research group at Emory University to explore how actin dynamics are influenced by biochemical interactions between actin-binding proteins and mechanical forces. We spoke with Shashank over Zoom to learn more about his career, his nomadic life and his advice on collaborative research.