Dr. Mukherjee completed her doctoral studies at BHU, India. Subsequently, she pursued a postdoctoral fellowship at the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology in Trieste, Italy. In 1999, she moved to the United States, commencing a postdoctoral position at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Her career at UTSW Dallas began in 2006 as an assistant instructor, and she advanced to the role of Assistant Professor (Research) 2015. She joined Sarver Heart Center in February 2025.
Research Interests: My research interests focus on two interconnected areas: Werner Syndrome (WS) and Friedreich's Ataxia (FRDA). These genetic disorders provide valuable insights into mitochondrial dysfunction and DNA repair mechanisms, with significant implications for aging and cardiovascular health.
Werner Syndrome (WS): WS is a premature aging disorder caused by mutations in the WRN protein, a key regulator of DNA repair, recombination, and replication. My work explores WRN’s role in DNA repair and mitochondrial function in patient iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes, with a particular focus on its involvement in cardiovascular disease during pathological aging.
Friedreich's Ataxia (FRDA): FRDA results from reduced expression of the Frataxin (FRA) protein due to expanded GAA trinucleotide repeats. This deficiency leads to severe health challenges, including mitochondrial dysfunction and cardiac complications. My research aims to develop therapeutic strategies to enhance FRA expression and counteract the disease’s debilitating effects.
Therapeutic Goals: The ultimate goal of my research is to develop targeted therapies that alleviate symptoms of both FRDA and WS, potentially offering novel treatment approaches for these conditions while advancing our understanding of age-related diseases.
See Dr. Mukherjee's research here.