Archana was just selected by the Rainin Foundation’s Board of Directors to receive one of three Visionary Scientist Award grants. This grant provides her with $300,000 for two years, from October 1, 2026, to September 30, 2028. The review process was highly competitive, with 25 very strong applications submitted. Her application was outstanding, and the proposed innovative work was considered likely to advance understanding of IBD and related biological systems. Archana aims to define common pathways that contribute to pelvic pain, an important question given that women with endometriosis suffer from functional gut disorders at higher rates - 300% higher for IBS and 80% higher for IBD. She wants to know how these circuits are anatomically and functionally connected, and what key molecular signals trigger cycles of pelvic pain disorders.