Diksha Attrish has been awarded a France Excellence Eiffel scholarship to join the “Epigenetic Mechanisms in Cancer” team headed by Dr Priyanka Sharma
Diksha Attrish (right) has been awarded a France Excellence Eiffel scholarship to unravel the mechanistic insights of inflammation-induced pathogenesis in cutaneous lymphoma and has joined Dr. Priyanka Sharma’s “Epigenetic Mechanisms in Cancer” (EPIC) team.
The Cutaneous T-cell Lymphoma (CTCL) is a type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma characterized by malignancy in skin T cells. Despite significant advancements in the field, treatment remains a challenge. IL-17A, an inflammatory cytokine, is frequently detected in CTCL skin lesions and patient blood samples. However, the molecular basis of the direct association between IL-17A expression and CTCL pathogenesis remains unexplored.
To address this, Diksha Attrish aims to decipher the molecular mechanism of IL-17A signaling in CTCL. Her main objectives are to uncover the molecular insights underlying IL-17A regulation in malignant T cells and CTCL patients. This fundamental knowledge could serve as the foundation for future therapeutic strategies.
Diksha Attrish, a final-year Ph.D. student at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay, with a Master’s degree in Biomedical Science from Delhi University, was awarded a France Excellence Eiffel scholarship in 2024 (EIFFEL-DOCTORAT 2024). In December 2024, she joined Dr. Priyanka Sharma’s “Epigenetic Mechanisms in Cancer” (EPIC) team to pursue her research project.
The France Excellence Eiffel scholarships, established by the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, support scientific excellence by enabling French higher education institutions to host international students in their master’s and Ph.D. programs. Diksha’s project is one of two Ph.D. projects awarded a scholarship out of six submissions by the University of Toulouse III-Paul Sabatier for 2024. Nationally, only around 30 to 50 Ph.D. students benefit from this prestigious scholarship annually (e.g., 34 in 2023).
Diksha’s arrival at the IPBS also reflects the institute’s broader commitment to bilateral cooperation with research institutions in India. Supported by the CNRS, CEFIPRA, the French Embassy in India, and the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the IPBS is actively involved in a Franco-Indian research initiative on infectious diseases and antibiotic resistance. This initiative is set to expand in the near future to address other global health challenges.
Diksha Attrish has been awarded a France Excellence Eiffel scholarship to join the “Epigenetic Mechanisms in Cancer” team headed by Dr Priyanka Sharma