Experience

• 

  Nepal agricultural research council

  Nov 2011 - Jun 2012

  Research assistant

  Worked as a research assistant for Dr. Dhruba Bahadur Thapa (S4) and Sarala Sharma (S4) in agri-botany and plant pathology division, respectively. I was involved in data collection, wheat breeding and patholgy, basic molecular works and editing of technical reports.

• 

  North dakota state university

  Aug 2012 - Mar 2019

  Potato and Sugar beet Pathology (Secor Lab) Barley Molecular Genetics and Pathology (Brueggeman Lab) Department of Plant Pathology, NDSU, Fargo, ND Secor Lab • Completed whole-genome sequencing (WGS) of a few isolates Dickeya species using Nanopore and Ion-torrent to assist in accurate detection of different Dickeya species.• Developed diagnostic probe-based multiplex assays for the rapid and species-specific detection of a bacterial pathogen Dickeya that causes potato blackleg disease.• Performed transcriptomic study of a novel sugar beet pathogen Fusarium secorum to identify effector genes required during the infection process.• Provide bioinformatic support to identify novel alphanecrovirus and satellite virus in rhizomania-infected sugar beet.Brueggeman Lab • Utilized exome capture and amplicon sequencing in pursuit of identifying the gene (s) involved in the barley stem rust resistance gene Rpg1-mediated resistance-signaling pathway.• Conducted Yeast-two-hybrid library scale screening using barley HvPP2C1 domain as bait with a goal to identify Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici (Pgt) gene (s) interacting with this domain. Show less Barley Molecular Genetics and PathologyDepartment of Plant Pathology, NDSU, Fargo, ND• Identified candidate suppressors and elicitors of Pgt that putatively interact with the barley stem rust resistance locus rpg4/Rpg5.• Identified two novel barley genes Rrr1 and Rrr2 that are required for rpg4/Rpg5 and Rpg1 mediated stem rust resistance in barley.• Identified a novel locus RpgHv645 in barley swiss landrace Hv645 that provides partial adult plant resistance against Ug99 and initiated its pyramiding in several malting barley cultivars.• Conducted Yeast-two-hybrid library scale screening using the barley Rpg5 protein kinase domain as bait in an attempt to identify Pgt gene (s) interacting with this domain.• Recombinant protein expression of the candidate elicitors of Pgt gene in Pichia pastoris for the protein infiltration-based assessment of the candidate genes.• Attempted to identify novel QTL associated with FHB and DON accumulation resistance in barley using amplicon sequencing of CGN00483/Harrington derived biparental population. Show less

  • Postdoctoral Research Associate

    May 2018 - Mar 2019

  • Graduate Research Assistant

    Jan 2015 - Apr 2018

  • Graduate Research Assistant

    Aug 2012 - Dec 2014
• 

  Usda

  Apr 2019 - Mar 2021

  Postdoctoral research associate

  Sunflower and Plant Biology Research (Underwood Lab, USDA, ARS, NCSL) • Employing machine learning and bioinformatics tools to analyze genomic and transcriptomics data in investigating and characterizing quantitative resistance in Arabidopsis to Sclerotinia.• Conducted genome-wide association study (GWAS) and population genetic study of US Sclerotinia sclerotium isolates.• Designed a histopathological study to investigate modes of resistance and susceptibility to Sclerotinia in different Arabidopsis ecotypes.• Evaluating response to oxalic acid (OA) in sunflower to establish a model for predicting resistance to Sclerotinia in sunflower. Show less

• 

  Syngenta

  Mar 2021 - now

  Empowering Decision Making through Data-Driven AI/ML Models

  • Traits Pipeline Decision Science Lead

    Jun 2024 - now

  • Breeding Genomics Scientist

    Mar 2021 - Jul 2024