Maithili Sashindranath

I have wanted to be a scientist since I was 13. I have loved science since then and I love it more now. Learning and thinking are part of my job; it doesn’t get better than that.

I was born and raised in India and have lived in 4 countries. Being highly independent, I left home at 16 to study in a new country, without any family around. I have two young kids and believe that becoming a mother should not restrict a woman from achieving her true professional potential, if that is what she desires. I am committed to being a role model in the community and visit primary schools to promote interest in STEM. I am particularly focused on inspiring young girls to pursue STEM careers. With a keen interest in supporting women in STEM and promoting diversity and inclusion, I am the Deputy Chair of the Monash Central Clinical School's Gender Equity and Diversity Committee. 

I have over 15 years of experience in Neuroscience research and am an expert in the fields of brain injury and stroke. I currently work as a Senior Research Fellow with the Vascular Biology group in the Australian Centre for Blood Diseases, Monash University, where I lead a team of research assistants and PhD students. My current research interests are focused on improving outcomes in diseases affected by blood clots such as stroke and kidney injury. I previously worked as a Research Fellow at the Molecular Neurotrauma and Haemostasis laboratory in the same department.

I graduated with a PhD from the University of Melbourne in December 2009 during which I how epileptic seizures damage the brain. I received the Melbourne Research Scholarship (2004-2008) as well as the Leslie Eric Paddle scholarship (2006 and 2007) and the RJ Gleghorn scholarship (2007) for PhD studies. I completed a BSc Hons degree from the University of Cape Town, South Africa in 2003.