

'deFORM', is a mix-media take on spatial deformation that epithelial cells and tissues undergo during embryonic development to form organs. Medium: Mix - digital photography and vinyl modeling. 2021
Hiya!
Here's who I am & what I do
I am Mayank Chugh. I am a first-generation college graduate, born and raised in Anglophilic India before I started my academic journey. Currently, I reside in Boston, MA.
I am fascinated by life; its beauty in form, shape, pattern, function, and dynamics in space and time. I am excited by how a single cell develops into a multicellular organism with sophisticated organs and coherent behaviour. I have spent the last 10 years learning and investigating this fundamental question in different organisms and with various techniques.
I am also constantly inspired by the life around me: change of the seasons, music, murals in the streets, mountains, people's faces and emotions, et cetera. I channel this inspiration into my scientific research and more so, writing and art. I do not like to border science, art, and society. They belong together.
Hence, I very much believe in community. No man is an island and neither is science. Black lives matter in- and outside science. Inclusion and equity matters in- and outside science. I am vocal and action-oriented about the betterment of our community and definitely, much-needed changes in the current academic system.
Zebrafish embryos 24-48 hours post fertilisation as seen through the eyepiece of a light microscope. You can appreciate that embryos are optically transparent. If you want to get connected to the zebrafish community, follow the link by clicking on the photo.