Shwathy Ramesan

Shwathy is a postdoctoral research fellow dedicated to conducting high-quality research, translating it into industry applications, and communicating results in both scientific and layman’s terms. With a robust background in Biomedical Engineering, she has contributed to various research projects that integrate skills from both fields. She holds a Master’s and PhD in Biomedical Engineering, with a focus on exploring in vitro platforms to understand complex disease processes. During her PhD, she utilized high-frequency sound waves to enhance drug delivery in multiple in vitro and ex vivo model systems.

Currently, she works at the Myelin in Health and Disease Laboratory in Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Melbourne. Her current research involves developing in vitro organoids from human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) to model Multiple Sclerosis (MS). MS is characterized by the loss of myelin, the insulating layer around neurons, which leads to motor neuron dysfunction and disability if not restored.

Since there is no cure for MS and current treatments only manage the symptoms, the main challenge in finding a cure is the absence of an effective model to understand the disease. Shwathy's research aims to use patient-derived stem cells to create three-dimensional structures called organoids that replicate MS, ultimately enhancing the fundamental understanding of the disease. As a 2024 Churchill Fellow, she will leverage her expertise in engineering and neuroscience to design custom 3D electrodes to assess the functionality of these ‘mini brains’.