GraphPad Prism
Gaurav Phuyal
Biomedical Research Fellow
Silver Spring,MD
Summary
Motivated, self-directed researcher with more than 5 years of experience in institutional settings. Resourceful, passionate, and committed to achieving research goals. Highly motivated to apply analysis, lean methodology, and latest technology to lead change and tackle new projects and ideas.
Overview
6
6
years of post-secondary education
10
10
years of professional experience
Work History
ORISE Biomedical Engineering & Sciences Fellow
Walter Reed Army Institute Of Research
Silver Spring, Maryland
08.2023 - Current
Blast-Induced Neurotrauma (BINT)
- Lead the neurobehavioral core under BINT, managing up to seven team members while establishing operational protocols, outlining project timelines, and training personnel to guarantee successful project completion
- Coordinate with 4 to 5 Principal Investigators (PIs) and cross-functional core leads to plan, schedule, and manage personnel resources across 5 concurrent, independent projects
- Ensure strict adherence to AAALAC compliance standards and maintain rigorous data quality control frameworks across all ongoing studies
- Brief Principal Investigators on critical project milestones and progress metrics during weekly meetings
- Designed, executed, and published a first-author paper, establishing a novel ferret model for Blast-induced Traumatic Brain Injury (bTBI)
- Contributed technical expertise to an additional six co-authored publications and regularly evaluate emerging research as an ad-hoc peer reviewer for multiple academic journals
- Perform data analysis, including ABR and DPOAE evaluations to quantify peripheral auditory function in rat and chinchilla models
- Operate an advanced blast simulator to expose animal models to targeted, variable blast overpressures
- Perform biochemical research techniques including qPCR, ELISA, and Western Blot, and analyze resulting datasets in GraphPad Prism
Graduate Student Researcher
University Of North Carolina At Greensboro
Greensboro, NC
08.2021 - 05.2023
Developmental Biology, Epigenetics
- Designed and executed in vivo research utilizing the CRISPR interference (CRISPRi) technique to successfully establish de novo epimutations in medaka (Oryzias latipes)
- Developed, modified, and validated custom laboratory methodologies, assay protocols, and investigative diagnostic tests
- Completed an advanced Genomic/Sequencing Analysis workshop focused on Next-Gen library preparation and amplicon sequencing workflows
- Trained and mentored four undergraduate students and one high school student in foundational molecular biology lab techniques and workflows
- Served as a Teaching Assistant for two undergraduate biology laboratory sections per semester, leading instruction and practical grading
- Organized and facilitated weekly journal club meetings for undergraduate students to improve scientific communication and critical literature analysis
- Secured $1,200 in internal research funding through competitive, self-authored grant applications
- Presented primary research findings at an International Epigenetics and Bioengineering Conference
Undergraduate Research Assistant
University of Louisiana Monroe
Monroe, LA
08.2016 - 12.2017
- Isolated and characterized novel bacteriophages targeting the soil host Rhodococcus erythropolis as part of the national SEA-PHAGES program
- Conducted targeted literature searches and actively contributed to research planning during weekly academic journal club discussions
- Assisted a graduate researcher with field data collection for a plant and restoration ecology project within a bottomland hardwood forest ecosystem.
Summer Undergrad Research Fellow
Tulane Medical Center
New Orleans, LA
05.2017 - 07.2017
Renal Physiology
- Investigated the role of TNF-α in hypertension mechanisms, analyzing its response to Nitric Oxide (NO) activity within Renal Tubular Cells
- Followed best practices and scientific protocol to reach defensible conclusions based on solid evidence
- Presented primary research findings to peers and faculty at the Summer Undergraduate Research Forum (SURF)
Education
Master of Science - Biology
University of North Carolina Greensboro
Greensboro, NC, USA 08.2021 - 05.2023
Bachelor of Science - Biology
University of Louisiana Monroe
Monroe, LA, USA 08.2016 - 12.2020
Skills
Team management
Neurobehavioral and functional assays (including NOR, Sociability, Catwalk gait analysis, Open field, Actigraphy, Visual Acuity Test, ABR, and DPOAE tests)
Whole-brain sectioning
Tissue and sample processing (CSF, blood, and tissue collection)
Animal handling and procedures (japanese rice fish, rodent, ferret, and chinchilla models; IP and microinjections)
Data collection and analysis
CRISPR-Cas9 system
Guide-RNA and primer design
Molecular cloning (restriction digestion, ligation, and bacterial transformation)
Publications
- Chan A, Arun P, Patel K, Eintracht S, Govindarajulu M, Pundkar C, Samdavid Thanapaul RJR, Phuyal G, Su S, Demirjian L, Politewicz P, Ricks-Oddie J, Hack D, Nishimura R, Hobson ST, Richieri RA, Robertson CL, Krasinska K, Long JB, Parseghian MH. Rapid Intracellular Delivery of Human Heat Shock Protein 72 Prevents Memory Loss and Inhibits Neurodegeneration up to 9 Days After a Blast Injury [Internet]. Cold Spring Harbor (NY): bioRxiv; 2026 Jun 16. Preprint. Link
- Thanapaul RJRS, Govindarajulu MY, Patel MY, Krishnan JKS, Menon D, Pundkar C, Phuyal G, Anderson LM, Samineni S, Long JB, Arun P. Analgesic Modulation of Neuroendocrine and Region-Specific Neuropathological Responses Following Blast-Induced Traumatic Brain Injury in Rats. Journal of Neurotrauma. 2026;0(0). Link
- Phuyal G, Govindarajulu MY, Al-Lami A, et al. A Ferret Model of Blast-Induced Traumatic Brain Injury with Biochemical and Neurobehavioral Outcome Measures. Journal of Neurotrauma. 2026;43(7-8):625-640. Link
- Phuyal G, Pundkar CY, Govindarajulu MY, Thanapaul RJRS, Al-Lami A, Menon A, Long JB, Arun P. Blast Overpressure-Induced Neuroinflammation and Axonal Injury in the Spinal Cord of Ferrets. Brain Sciences. 2025; 15(10):1050. Link
- Samdavid Thanapaul RJR, Krishnan JKS, Govindarajulu MY, Pundkar CY, Phuyal G, Long JB, Arun P. Differential Neuroendocrine Responses and Dysregulation of the Hypothalamic–Pituitary–Adrenal Axis Following Repeated Mild Concussive Impacts and Blast Exposures in a Rat Model. Brain Sciences. 2025; 15(8):847. Link
- Thanapaul RJRS, Govindarajulu M, Pundkar C, Phuyal G, Eken O, Long JB, Arun P. Longitudinal Dysregulation of Adiponectin and Leptin Following Blast-Induced Polytrauma in a Rat Model. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2025; 26(14):6860. Link
- Pundkar C, Thanapaul RJRS, Govindarajulu M, Phuyal G, Long JB, Arun P. Dysregulation of Retinal Melatonin Biosynthetic Pathway and Differential Expression of Retina-Specific Genes Following Blast-Induced Ocular Injury in Ferrets. Neurology International. 2025; 17(3):42. Link
- Samdavid Thanapaul RJR, Pundkar C, Phuyal G, et al. Temporal Dynamics of Retinal Inflammation Following Blast Exposure in a Ferret Model. Neurotrauma Reports. 2025;6(1). Link
- Phuyal G. Development of a tool to introduce DNA methylation into a genomic locus in vivo. ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global: The Sciences and Engineering Collection. (2828605169). The University of North Carolina at Greensboro; 2023. 30318704. Link
Software
ImageJ
SMART video tracking, Fusion Software, and Noldus Catwalk system for neurobehavioral assays
Microsoft Office
Basics of R and Python
Affiliations
Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Honor Society
Professional Service
Completed at least 12 peer-reviews to date for the Military Health Research Symposium and journals including Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience, Frontiers in Neuroscience, etc.
Presentations
Phuyal G, Pundkar CY, Govindarajulu MY, Thanapaul RJRS, Al-Lami A, Menon A, Long JB, Arun P. “Blast Overpressure-Induced Neuroinflammation and Axonal Injury in the Spinal Cord of Ferrets.” 29th Spring Research Festival Symposium & Exhibition (SRF 2025), Ft. Detrick, MD, April 2025. In-person. Poster
Phuyal G, Govindarajulu MY, Al-Lami A, et al. “A Ferret Model of Blast-Induced Traumatic Brain Injury with Biochemical and Neurobehavioral Outcome Measures.” 2025 National Capital Area Neurotrauma Society Research Symposium, NIH, Bethesda, MD, February 2025. In-person. Poster
Phuyal G, Menon A, Govindarajulu MY, Al-Lami A, Long JB, Arun P. “Repeated Low-level Blast Exposure Induces Pathways Leading to Traumatic Stress and Depression in Rat Experimental Models.” 2024 Military Health System Research Symposium (MHSRS), Kissimmee, FL, August 2024. In-person. Poster
Phuyal G, Govindarajulu MY, Al-Lami A, et al. “Novel Ferret Model of Blast-induced Spinal Cord Injury.” The 28th Annual Technological Advances in Science, Medicine, and Engineering (TASME) 2024 conference, ON, Canada, July 2024. Hybrid. Presentation
Phuyal G. “How Loud is Too Loud?” 2024 ORISE Ignite Off! Competition, June-August 2024. Online
Phuyal G, Wang X, Bhandari RK. “Development of a Molecular Tool to Introduce DNA Methylation into a Genomic Locus In Vivo.” 6th International Conference on Epigenetics and Bioengineering (EPIBIO22), Rice University Bioscience Research Collaborative, Houston, TX, October 2022. In-person. Poster
Phuyal G, Majid DSA. “Differential Regulation of TNF Receptors by Nitric Oxide in Renal Proximal Tubular Cells.” LSU Summer Undergraduate Research Forum, Baton Rouge, LA, July 2017. In-person. Poster
Timeline
ORISE Biomedical Engineering & Sciences Fellow
Walter Reed Army Institute Of Research
08.2023 - Current
Graduate Student Researcher
University Of North Carolina At Greensboro
08.2021 - 05.2023
Master of Science - Biology
University of North Carolina Greensboro
08.2021 - 05.2023
Summer Undergrad Research Fellow
Tulane Medical Center
05.2017 - 07.2017
Undergraduate Research Assistant
University of Louisiana Monroe
08.2016 - 12.2017
Bachelor of Science - Biology
University of Louisiana Monroe
08.2016 - 12.2020