I have graduated as a MSc of Biochemistry at Jagiellonian University in Cracow. Then, I joined Pekka Lappalainen’s lab at the University of Helsinki as a PhD student. I took advantage of a wide range of cell biology, microscopy and biochemistry methods to unravel mechanisms regulating assembly and function of contractile actin-based structures in non-muscle cells.

Currently, I am interested in functional genomics of astrocytes. Taking advantage of genome editing methods accompanied by broad molecular biology and microscopy techniques, I aim to decipher the role of certain astrocyte genes in functional and evolutionary context.

In my spare time I experiment with coffee and travels.

While studying biotechnology at the University of Life Sciences in Poznan, I became fascinated by how cells function at the molecular level. Especially I was impressed by the variety of epigenetic mechanisms that are responsible for the proper functioning of the whole organism. In the meantime, I have been awarded the “Diamond Grant”, which I carried out under the supervision of prof. dr hab. Wlodziemierz Krzyzosiak at the Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry Polish Academy of Sciences (IChB PAS). During this time, I aimed to understand the mechanistic features of allele-specific silencing provided by miRNA-like siRNA, which is used as a potential therapeutic treatment for incurable polyglutamine diseases. Afterwards, I joined the laboratory of prof. dr hab. Matthias Bochtler at the International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IIMCB). There I have defended my PhD thesis on the binding properties of chromatin-reading domains of KMT2/MLL proteins. 

In May 2023 I joined the Dioscuri Centre of dr Aleksanda Pekowska. I would like to contribute to a better understanding of the regulation of gene expression by enhancer-promoter interactions in the context of chromatin structure and cell differentiation.

After work I sing in a choir, dance Lindy Hop, go hiking and travel.

I am Garima, and I completed my PhD at the Indian Institute of Science under the mentorship of Dr. Swananda Marathe. My research focused on how astrocytes influence depressive-like behaviour and the efficacy of antidepressant treatments. I investigated the structural plasticity of astrocytes in the murine brain in response to stress and pharmacological interventions, uncovering novel insights into brain plasticity. After my PhD, I pursued a short postdoctoral stint at the Institut Pasteur in Paris in the lab of Prof. Chiara Zurzolo. There, I studied neuron-glia interactions in Autism Spectrum Disorders, exploring the presence of tunneling nanotubes in in vitro in Shank3 mutant mice. I also contributed to projects investigating intercellular communication in the murine cerebellum. In 2025, I joined Dr. Aleksandra Pękowska’s lab, where I am currently exploring the function of interlaminar astrocytes across different non-human primate species. I am excited to collaborate with the team and to dive deeper into the diverse and complex roles astrocytes play in the primate brain. 

My research centres on deciphering how chromatin architecture and transcription factors orchestrate gene regulation during development. I am particularly fascinated by the exceptional biology of human astrocytes — star-shaped glial cells whose regulatory networks have evolved in unique ways across species. To unravel these complexities, I employ a multidisciplinary strategy that integrates cell reprogramming and CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing with high-resolution microscopy to explore nuclear architecture and protein organisation, Hi-C to chart the three-dimensional folding of the genome, and a suite of sequencing technologies (ChIP-seq, RNA-seq, ATAC-seq) to capture the dynamic landscapes of gene activity. By integrating these layers with bioinformatics, my goal is to uncover the fundamental principles linking chromatin architecture to gene regulation in development. 

Prior to joining Dioscuri Centre, I worked at Jubilant Biosys Ltd and then at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bengaluru for a duration of two years in the field of cancer therapeutics. I also did a nine-month stint at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), also in Bengaluru, where my work concentrated on stem cell biology. 

I graduated at Faculty of Industrial Design at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw.

After studying at the Faculty of Big Data Analysis at the Warsaw School of Economics, I took and graduated an intense course of UX/UI Design at Spanish IT School Ironhack. 

I started working at the Dioscuri Centre for Chromatin Biology and Epigenomics in February 2023 as an administrative coordinator.