Nidhi Thaker

Nidhi received her bachelor’s degree from Rutgers University, New Jersey, majoring in Biotechnology and Biochemistry. She obtained her Master’s degree in Biotechnology from Northeastern University, Massachusetts. Nidhi is a joint PhD student with the Fissore and Stratton labs. Her research is focused on understanding the complex role of CaMKII during fertilization and embryogenesis. In mammalian eggs, CaMKII activity is required for Emi2 phosphorylation to activate anaphase-promoting complex/cyclosome (APC), to release oocytes from cell cycle arrest. The research will primarily focus on investigating CaMKII activation during the early Ca2+ rises of fertilization using CaMKII biosensors and phosphatases, establishing direct uptake of the kinase (without microinjection) to achieve egg activation and to understand the contributions of CaMKII isoforms (especially CaMKII gamma) in mammalian eggs during embryogenesis and organogenesis.