Nikhil Ratna

WORK HISTORY

EDUCATION

ABOUT NIKHIL RATNA

My basic qualification is M.B.B.S. With an inherent inclination to ask questions, I turned to research and acquired a doctorate (PhD) in clinical neurosciences. My PhD program allowed me to see patients of neuro-psychiatric illnesses along with doing lab experiments. I studied Huntington\'s disease (HD) for my PhD dissertation.I did a stint of post-doctoral training in basic sciences which was highly disruptive due to Covid pandemic. I see a lot of purpose and excitement both in doing/communicating research and also helping patients clinically. I am open to learning new skills across domains. I describe myself as someone who has a range of interests and experiences, which has been both the upside and downside in defining my career path. I have an intuitive belief that these skills come together to help me to be more creative in scientific endeavours. Skill and experiences : Lab work: cell culture, PCR, protein extraction, SDS-PAGE, basics of mass spec based proteomics, bio-informatics analysis, Drosophila genetics, bio-chemical assays using spectrophotometry. Clinical: Basic understanding of all neuro-psychiatric diseases. Advanced understanding of diagnosis and management of movement disorders such as Huntington\'s disease and dementias. Genetics of Mendelian disorders especially triplet repeat disorders, Genetic counseling. Strengths: Anti-reductionist thinking, effective articulation of ideas (oral and written), critical evaluation of methodologies and data interpretation, ability and passion to learn new skills, ability to work in inter-disciplinary environment. Weaknesses: Time management, decision making skills, perseverence against odds. I am working seriously and scientifically on them Other interests: Mental health advocacy, empowerment of patient community especially in the area of rare diseases such as HD. I have co-founded an NGO for HD patients to make a difference in their lives. I read extensively on self growth, cognitive neurosciences (believing that they help in self improvement) and human behaviour. I recently started learning programming. In this transition from clinics to clinical research to basic research, I have learnt that our inclinations and beliefs can evolve and be non-dogmatic. I took a short break due to an accident and used this time to read and reflect upon, now looking for an opportunity to work in a role that offers learning new skills and application of those I already have for the betterment of mankind directly or indirectly.