Meenakshi Maitra

Post Doctoral Fellow - Cancer Genetics and Genomics
UT Southwestern Medical Center - 2015

Ph.D. - Human Genetics
Indian Institute of Chemical Biology - 2008

M.S. - Zoology
Banaras Hindu University, India - 2002

B.S. - Zoology
Lady Bethune College, India - 1999

IL1B Induced Smad 7 Negatively Regulates Gastrin Expression 2011 - Journal Article

Identification of GATA6 Sequence Variants in Patients With Congenital Heart Defects 2010 - Journal Article

Surfactant Protein A2 Mutations Associated with Pulmonary Fibrosis Lead to Protein Instability and Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress 2010 - Journal Article

IL1B promoter polymorphism regulates the expression of gastric acid stimulating hormone gastrin 2009 - Journal Article

Interaction of Gata4 and Gata6 with Tbx5 is critical for normal cardiac development 2009 - Journal Article

Association of specific haplotype of TNF withα Helicobacter pylori-mediated duodenal ulcer in eastern Indian population 2008 - Journal Article

Interaction betweenIL1Bgene promoter polymorphisms in determining susceptibility toHelicobacter pyloriassociated duodenal ulcer 2006 - Journal Article

Gilbert’s syndrome: High frequency of the (TA)₇TAA allele in India and its interaction with a novel CAT insertion in promoter of the gene for bilirubin UDP-glucuronosyltransferase 1 gene 2006 - Journal Article

Director, STEM Outreach Programs
School of Natural Sciences and Math [2025–Present]
Directs K-12 and undergraduate STEM outreach research programs and projects at NSM.

Assistant Professor of Instruction
University of Texas at Dallas [2017–2024]

Adjunct Faculty
Dallas College [2015–2023]

Biology Workshops Bring Scientific Concepts to Life for High Schoolers

128 high school students invested some of their summer vacation days in research-intensive biology workshops hosted by the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics at The University of Texas at Dallas.

During the four-week Summer Biology Research Workshop, 48 students gained hands-on experience with laboratory equipment and techniques, learned about scientific inquiry, and explored cutting-edge research topics under the guidance of faculty and graduate student mentors.

Students in the five-week Foundations of Computational Biology Research Workshop explored the intersection of biology, computer science and mathematics by combining laboratory experiences with projects on biological databases, protein and DNA sequence evolution, and bioinformatics coding.

Transfer Research Initiative - UT Dallas

YWISEi Program - UT Dallas

Director of K-12 STEM Outreach efforts in the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, UTD

Direct several STEM outreach programs for high school students in the areas of biology, computational biology and math.

Faculty Mentor at the Young Women in Science and Engineering (YWISE) Investigator program / University of Texas Dallas, TX

As a faculty mentor, I provide collaborative leadership with members from different academic schools at UTD leading to a successful and enriching student experience. 

Lead Faculty Mentor at the Transfer Research Initiative / Office of Undergraduate Education, University of Texas Dallas, TX

Lead the creation of, programming, evaluation as well as other aspects of student engagement during the 5-week summer TRI research program at UTD. The program supports the success and retention of transfer undergraduate students from underrepresented minority communities. The TRI program, through inter-departmental collaborations, seeks to expand participant knowledge of STEM, cognitive sciences, arts and technology, data sciences and digital marketing storytelling concepts. 

Lead Coordinator of Biology Outreach Programs at the Department of Biological Sciences / University of Texas Dallas, TX

Design and implement academic outreach programs for middle and high school students across the DFW metroplex and outside. Collaborate with the Smithsonian Learning Lab team, Perot Museum, faculty and staff at Johns Hopkins University, Texas A&M, Vanderbilt University and more to develop unique courses that pique the interest in science among kids. These programs have been designed to encourage participation of diverse students with limited resources through free registrations and mentorship.

Faculty Mentor for the Undergraduate Success Scholars Program / University of Texas Dallas, TX

Serve as a mentor for the USS program, continuing to support, mentor and guide minority student family leaders from the Undergraduate Success Scholars (USS) program.