Dr Prajakta Kulkarni

My research centres on elucidating the molecular mechanisms underpinning autophagy and organelle dynamics across diverse physiological and disease contexts, with the ultimate aim of translating these insights into novel therapeutic strategies. I am particularly interested in signalling pathways that regulate cellular homeostasis and stress responses, and my work has contributed to uncovering previously unappreciated roles of mTOR signalling at the Golgi apparatus—a key nexus linking growth, metabolism, and intracellular trafficking. By integrating cell biology, signalling, and disease models, my research seeks to define fundamental processes driving cancer progression and adaptive stress responses, with a strong emphasis on identifying mechanistically tractable pathways that hold promise for therapeutic intervention.