Dr Neha Bhatia

My research centers on the hormone cytokinin and its role in regulating how cells proliferate, differentiate, and expand during the development of aerial organs, such as leaves. I aim to understand how plants coordinate these processes in space and time to shape organ growth. By linking molecular signalling with cellular behaviour and tissue-scale patterning, my group seeks to uncover the fundamental principles that govern plant development across multiple scales.

My approach

To investigate these mechanisms, I use an interdisciplinary approach that combines:

• Quantitative live imaging to observe growth in real-time
• Genetic and mosaic analyses to perturb and study regulatory pathways
• Computational modelling to test and refine our hypotheses

A key goal of my work is to develop a mechanistic and predictive framework that explains how complex plant forms emerge from the dynamic interactions between hormonal regulation and gene activity.

Experience and collaboration

Prior to establishing my group at Cambridge, my research focused on plant developmental patterning and hormone signalling. This included work on auxin-mediated regulation of leaf polarity and cellular organisation, as well as conceptual advances in understanding how developmental processes drive the diversity of plant shapes.

At SLCU, I work within a highly collaborative environment that spans genetics, quantitative biology, and systems modelling. Together, we are working to understand the regulatory systems that allow plants to build themselves with such precision and resilience.