Pooja completed her PhD at the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) in India, where she studied how protein complexes evolve and adapt across different organisms. Her doctoral work focused on how lipid–protein interactions shape the sequence evolution of respiratory complexes. Following her PhD, she continued as a postdoctoral researcher at CCMB, investigating how mitochondrial reactive oxygen species influence the evolution of respiratory complex I.
In the Salo Lab, Pooja investigates the structural mechanisms that govern lipid droplet biogenesis in the liver. She is particularly interested in how proteins and membrane properties control the sorting of lipids during lipid droplet formation. By combining cell biology with cryo-CLEM and cryo-electron tomography, she aims to uncover how these processes are organized at the nanoscale and how their regulation contributes to metabolic homeostasis.
Outside the lab, Pooja enjoys experimenting with new recipes, getting lost in a good book, and unwinding with crochet projects.