I received my undergraduate degree in Biotechnology from Anna University, India. As a visiting student at JNCASR, India, I studied the neurogenetic basis of circadian regulation of fly behavior and sleep. I then moved to Texas and earned my MA in Biology from Texas A&M University under the guidance of Dr. Federico Bermudez-Rattoni where I focused on the molecular mechanisms underlying acquisition and retrieval of aversive taste memories. After graduating, I worked as a Research Specialist at McLean Hospital with Dr. Bill Carlezon and Dr. Edward Meloni, conducting pre-clinical studies on animal models to assess the role of the neuropeptide PACAP in stress- and fear-related disorders. I then joined the PhD program in Neuroscience at Emory University to carry out my thesis work with Dr. Brian Dias to investigate neural circuits underlying pathological fear memories, specifically in thalamic and subthalamic circuits involved in fear inhibition. In the Ingraham lab, I will be studying the role of estrogen-responsive neurocircuitry in energy homeostasis
- Lone S.R., Venkataraman A., Srivastava M., Potdar S., Sharma V.K. (2015) Or47b neurons promote male mating success in Drosophila. Biology Letters 11(5): 20150292 PMID: 26018835 PMCID: PMC4455749
- Lone S.R., Potdar S., Venkataraman A., Sharma N., Kulkarni R., Rao S., Mishra S., Sheeba V., Sharma V.K. (2021) Mechanosensory Stimulation via Nanchung Expressing Neurons Can Induce Daytime Sleep in Drosophila. Journal of Neuroscience 41(45):9403-9418. PMID: 34635540 PMCID: PMC8580144
- Guzman-Ramos, K., Venkataraman, A., Morin, J. P., Osorio-Gomez, D., Bermudez-Rattoni, F. (2018) Differential requirement of de novo Arc protein synthesis in the insular cortex and the amygdala for safe and aversive taste long-term memory formation. Behavioral Brain Research 342:89-93 PMID: 29326059
- Meloni, E. G., Venkataraman, A., Donahue, R. J., Carlezon Jr., W. A. (2016) Bi-directional effects of pituitary adenylate-cyclase activating polypeptide (PACAP) on fear-related behavior and c-fos expression after fear conditioning in rats. Psychoneuroendocrinology 64:12-21 PMID: 26590791 PMCID: PMC4698186
- Donahue, R. J., Venkataraman, A., Carroll, F. I., Meloni, E. G., Carlezon Jr., W. A. (2016) Pituitary adenylate-cyclase activating polypeptide disrupts motivation, attention and social interaction in male Sprague-Dawley rats. Biological Psychiatry 80(12):955-964 PMID: 26229039 PMCID: PMC4684793
- Meloni, E. G., Kaye, K. T., Venkataraman, A., Carlezon Jr., W. A. (2019) PACAP increases Arc/Arg 3.1 expression within the extended amygdala after fear conditioning in rats. Neurobiology of Learning & Memory 157:24-34 PMID: 30458282 PMCID: PMC6494622
- Venkataraman, A., Brody, N., Reddi, P., Guo, J. G., Rainnie, D., Dias, B. G. (2019) Modulation of fear generalization by the zona incerta. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 116 (8):9072-9077 PMID: 30967506 PMCID: PMC6500173
- Venkataraman A., Hunter, S., Dhinojwala M., Ghebrezadik D., Guo, J. G., Dias, B. G. (2021) Incertothalamic modulation of fear via GABA and dopamine. Neuropsychopharmacology 46(9):1658-1668 PMID: 33864008 PMCID: PMC8280196
- Venkataraman A., Dias, B. G. (2022) Expanding the canon: An inclusive neurobiology of thalamic and subthalamic fear circuits. Neuropharmacology 226:109380 PMID: 36572176 PMCID: PMC9984284
- Bayrer, J.R., Castro, J., Venkataraman, A., Touhara, K.K., Rossen, N.D., Morrie, R.D., Hendry, Madden, A.J., Braverman, K.N., Schober. G., Brizuela, M., Castro-Navarro, F., Bueno-Silva, C., Ingraham, H.A., Brierley, S.M., and D. Julius. Gut Enterochromaffin Cells are Critical Drivers of Visceral Pain and Anxiety. Nature (2023) Mar;616 (7955): 137-142PMID: 36949192
- Venkataraman, A., Figueroa, EE, Casto, J., Castro-Navarro, FM., Soota, D., Brierley, SM., Julius, D. and H.A. Ingraham. (2025) A Cellular Basis for Heightened Gut Sensitivity in Females bioRxiv doi: 10.1101/2025.05.23.654927 May 28, PMID: 40501885, In Review.
2021 Microbiome Research Program Award, UCSF Benioff Center
2019 Trainee Professional Development Award, Society for Neuroscience
2019 Brain Health Center Travel Award, Emory Brain Health Center
2019 Three-Minute Thesis Competition Finalist, Emory University
2018 Graduate Student Council Travel Grant, Emory University
2018 Departmental Outreach Award, GDBBS, Emory University
2018 Program Leadership Award, Neuroscience Program, Emory University
2017 Cayman Chemical Travel Grant
2012 Outstanding Poster Presentation Award, Texas A&M University SfN Chapter
2008 Undergraduate Student Scholar Award in Biotechnology, Anna University