A. Personal Statement

I am a postdoctoral research fellow at the Center for Psychiatric Genetics at Endeavor Health, where I study the molecular mechanisms underlying neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders. My research combines experimental neurobiology with computational analysis to understand how genetic and transcriptional regulation contributes to disease.

My current work focuses on using single-nucleus RNA-seq (snRNA-seq) and ATAC-seq (snATAC-seq) to investigate chromatin accessibility and gene expression changes across different brain cell types in disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease and schizophrenia.

I received my Ph.D. in Systems Biology and Physiology from the University of Cincinnati, where I characterized the molecular diversity of V2a spinal interneurons and their response to spinal cord injury. Throughout my training, I have developed expertise in single-cell genomics, animal models, and transcriptomic data analysis using bioinformatic tools.

I am passionate about using integrative approaches to uncover the mechanisms that underlie neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative diseases, and I aim to contribute to the development of new strategies for their diagnosis and treatment.

B. Positions, Scientific Appointments, and Honors

Positions and Scientific Appointments

2025-Present  Postdoctoral Research Fellow, National Health Data Science Lab, Tysons, VA

2024-Present Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Endeavor Health, Evanston, IL

2018-2024 Graduate Research Assistant, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH

2017-2018 Research Assistant, Purbanchal University, Nepal

Honors and Awards

2022 Daniel Kline Funding, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH

2017 Best Poster (2nd Place), World DNA Day, Nepal

2013 Academic Excellence Award, Purbanchal University, Nepal

2012-2016 Merit-based tuition waivers across multiple undergraduate semesters, Purbanchal University, Nepal

С. Research Contribution and Accomplishments

1.     In my undergraduate research, I isolated and characterized polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB)-producing bacteria from soil samples and systematically optimized culture conditions to improve PHB yield. I evaluated the effects of incubation time, pH, carbon sources, and NaCl concentration on PHB production, and confirmed PHB synthesis using FTIR spectroscopy. The work demonstrated that glucose and sucrose supported strain-specific PHB accumulation, with the highest yields reaching over 36% in broth culture. This study contributed to understanding cost-efficient microbial biopolymer production and reflects my early training in applied microbiology and biochemical analysis.

a.     Thapa C, Shakya P, Shrestha R, Pal S, Manandhar P. Isolation of Polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) Producing Bacteria, Optimization of Culture

Conditions for PHB production, Extraction and Characterization of PHB. Nepal Journal of Biotechnology. 6. 62-68. 10.3126/njb.v6i1.22339.

2.      While effective treatments to restore lost motor function after traumatic injury remain limited, my research highlights the crucial role of propriospinal neurons in functional recovery. Through single-nucleus transcriptomic analysis in adult mice, I revealed significant molecular and cellular heterogeneity among excitatory V2a propriospinal neurons. This work confirmed conserved fetal V2a subtypes and identified additional distinct populations with unique localization patterns. Notably, I demonstrated that Rbms3+/Nav3+ V2a neurons—enriched in synaptic transmission and cell adhesion pathways—are nearly depleted following injury. Furthermore, I showed that surviving V2a neurons undergo distinct transcriptional changes indicative of potential circuit rewiring within the spinal cord microenvironment. These findings provide novel insight into the diverse neuronal responses to injury and establish a foundation for understanding mechanisms underlying adaptive and maladaptive spinal cord remodeling.

a. Thapa, Christina. Exploring the Heterogeneous Responses of V2a Neurons following Spinal Cord Injury. 2024. University of Cincinnati,

Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1712912562427982. 

b. Thapa, C., Chaturvedi, P., Baumgartner, S., Walling, I. and Crone, S. (2021), Changes in Gene Expression in Propriospinal Neurons Following Cervical Spinal Cord Injury. The FASEB Journal, 35:.https://doi.org/10.1096/fasebj.2021.35.S1.00468