In this satirical piece, I explored the implications of funding the healthcare and psychology of AI agents over human healthcare. Using fake experiments and fictional data, I mainly poked fun at the idea of valuing AI mental health above human mental health. Check out The Journal of Immaterial Science. It is a very cool idea and anybody can submit their academic satire.
We studied how popular culture shapes STEMM career choices and perceptions of the social standing of STEMM professionals. A survey and path analysis helped us examine how these views develop through young people's experiences with media.
TL;DR: Popular culture can shape how people view and choose STEMM careers.
@article{garg2023exploring,
author = {Garg, Pranjal and Chunduri, Rithika and Balusu, Chinmayi},
journal = {Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Cognitive Science Society},
year = {2023},
title = {Exploring the relationship between popular culture and perceptions of social standing in {Science}, {Technology}, {Engineering}, {Mathematics}, and {Medicine} ({STEMM}) careers: a pilot study using path analysis},
url = {https://escholarship.org/uc/item/05m8h9t1},
howpublished = {https://escholarship.org/uc/item/05m8h9t1},
volume = {45},
}
In an online survey of 2,371 adults in India, about 72% had heard of the malaria vaccine. Awareness differed by age, gender, education, residence, and caregiver status, pointing to the need to reach less-informed groups during a vaccine rollout.
TL;DR: Malaria vaccine awareness was uneven, so a rollout needs targeted public education.
@article{singhal2022awareness,
author = {Singhal, Chinar and Aremu, Taiwo O and Garg, Pranjal and Shah, Kunal and Okoro, Olihe N},
journal = {Cureus},
number = {9},
year = {2022},
pages = {e29210},
title = {Awareness of the malaria vaccine in {India}},
volume = {14},
}
We discussed how the Internet of Healthcare Things (IoHT) and machine learning could help predict diseases, monitor patients, and improve healthcare planning.
@inbook{garg2022iot,
author = {Garg, Pranjal and Gupta, Sejal},
booktitle = {Smart and {Secure} {Internet} of {Healthcare} {Things}},
year = {2022},
pages = {17--30},
publisher = {CRC Press},
title = {IoT-based disease prediction},
}
We proposed a central portal to track long COVID symptoms, follow up with patients remotely, and connect them with rehabilitation services in India. The piece also discusses the practical barriers to making that care accessible.
TL;DR: Remote follow-up and a shared portal could help people recovering from COVID-19 find rehabilitation care.
@article{garg2021telerehabilitation,
author = {Garg, Pranjal and Muthiah, Saidharshini and Singla, Chirag},
journal = {Harvard Public Health Review},
year = {2021},
publisher = {Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health},
title = {Telerehabilitation for {COVID}-19 {Patients} in {India}: Problem to {Solution}},
volume = {29},
}
We surveyed 375 male household heads in Rishikesh about their sleep habits, daytime sleepiness, and sleep quality. Lower socioeconomic status was linked to poorer sleep hygiene and more daytime sleepiness, while higher status was linked to poorer reported sleep quality.
TL;DR: Sleep problems differed across socioeconomic groups: poorer sleep hygiene and more daytime sleepiness at the lower end, but poorer sleep quality at the higher end.
@article{garg2020maintaining,
author = {Garg, Pranjal and Kathrotia, Rajesh and Mahadule, Ashwini A and Kumari, Annu and Goel, Arun},
journal = {European Journal of Molecular \& Clinical Medicine (EJMCM)},
number = {09},
year = {2020},
pages = {3621--3629},
title = {Is maintaining sleep hygiene enough for good sleep? {A} socioeconomic correlation study in north {India}.},
volume = {7},
}
We assessed whether zebrafish can help us study the physical traces of memory. We compared the defining features of an engram in zebrafish based on the criteria proposed by Tonegawa et al. (2015). We reviewed the literature on zebrafish memory to assess whether they meet those criteria for the same. We also discussed why their small, transparent, genetically tractable brains make them a useful model.
TL;DR: Zebrafish may be a useful model for studying how memories are stored in the brain.
@article{garg2022chasing,
author = {Garg, Pranjal and Sengupta, Sumedha},
journal = {Journal of Neuroscience Research},
year = {2022},
title = {Chasing engrams in zebrafish ({Danio} rerio)},
}
We proposed “stimulogenetics” as a shared name for optogenetics, chemogenetics, sonogenetics, and magnetogenetics, then compared their potential for clinical neuromodulation. Less invasive approaches may be promising, but clinical evidence is still too limited to rank them definitively.
TL;DR: Defined a common name for cellular-level neuromodulation techniques and evaluation of their clinical promise.
@article{garg2022introducing,
author = {Garg, Pranjal and Muthiah, Saidharshini and Sengupta, Sumedha},
journal = {Biology Methods and Protocols},
number = {1},
year = {2022},
title = {Introducing stimulogenetics, unraveling pertinent semantic ambiguity, and determining clinical relevance among novel neuromodulation strategies},
volume = {7},
}
I studied medicine at AIIMS Rishikesh for a few years but dropped out when I realised it was not the right place for me. I also worked as a student editor at the International Journal of Medical Students and held office in the Medical Students Association of India, an affiliate of the International Federation of Medical Students Associations. These experiences keep me committed to making research participation more accessible, especially to students and people with fewer opportunities. Here are some perspectives I published during that time. They do not necessarily reflect my views of AIIMS Rishikesh.
We argued that India has a disconnect between neuroscientists and physicians who treat neurological disorders. We also discussed potential solutions to bridge this gap.
@article{muthiah2022basic,
author = {Muthiah, Saidharshini and Shekhar, Shreshth and Garg, Pranjal},
journal = {Neurological Sciences},
number = {6},
year = {2022},
pages = {3995--3996},
publisher = {Springer International Publishing},
title = {Basic and clinical neuroscience: a tale of dreadful trade in {India}},
volume = {43},
}
We argued that the rigid hierarchy in Indian medical colleges enables mistreatment of students, discourages questioning, and damages relationships between students and teachers.
@article{garg2022issue,
author = {Garg, Pranjal and Muthiah, Saidharshini and Singla, Chirag},
journal = {Canadian Medical Education Journal},
number = {5},
year = {2022},
pages = {114},
title = {Issue of poor student-faculty relationship in {Indian} medical education},
volume = {13},
}
I discussed that medical colleges should do much more than train students to become doctors. They should create researchers, innovators, critical thinkers, and socially responsible professionals.
@article{garg2020my,
author = {Garg, Pranjal},
journal = {Journal of Medical Evidence},
number = {1},
year = {2020},
pages = {61--64},
publisher = {Medknow},
title = {My ideal medical college},
volume = {1},
}
The Mind Gala was an initiative funded by the 2nd IndiaBioscience Outreach grant to encourage more students to explore neuroscience. I helped organize several talks for the student audience, including a panel discussion on careers in neuroscience. I ran a novel mentorship program for the students across India, pairing them with their peers and mentors from neuroscience and science communication community to write articles in neuroscience for the general public and school students. A collection of the articles were compiled in a book titled Tales of Neuroscience, which was published in 2023. The novel mentorship program was presented at the 2024 Society for Neuroscience Annual Meeting (Theme J).
@book{garg2023tales,
editor = {Garg, P.},
year = {2023},
publisher = {The Mind Gala},
title = {Tales of {Neuroscience}},
url = {https://books.google.com/books?id=zkq8EAAAQBAJ},
}
@inproceedings{garg2024mindgala,
address = {Chicago, Illinois},
author = {Garg, P. and Trisal, J. and Krishnamurthy, A. and Chunduri, R. and Satav, D. and Muthiah, S. and Anand, H. J. and Thakur, P.},
booktitle = {Neuroscience 2024 {Abstracts}},
year = {2024},
month = {10},
organization = {Society for Neuroscience},
title = {The {Mind} {Gala} {Science} {Writing} {Mentorship} {Program}: Time-{Constrained} {Online} {Matched} {Group} {Mentoring} {Approach} to {Writing} a {Popular} {Science} {Book}},
url = {https://www.abstractsonline.com/pp8/#!/20433/presentation/25589},
}
Now defunct.
I helped build Project Encephalon, a trainee-led neuroscience nonprofit connecting students through seminars, symposia, mentorship, and outreach. The work included building an international volunteer team, securing grants to reach students in resource-limited settings, and organizing online workshops, conferences, panel discussions, journal clubs, and other educational activities. We also published a newsletter. We had a close collaboration with another nonprofit, Simply Neuroscience, which remains active. Go check out their awesome work.