Shalini Padmanabhan

Shalini Padmanabhan is a seasoned professional in the field of neuroscience, currently serving as the Senior Vice President and Head of Translational Research at The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research since January 2016. Shalini has held multiple leadership roles within the organization, including Vice President of Discovery & Translational Research and Vice President of Discovery Research. Prior to this, Shalini worked at Columbia University Medical Center as an Associate Research Scientist, focusing on axon regrowth in Parkinson's disease models, and as a Postdoctoral Research Scientist, exploring innovative approaches for dopamine neuron axon labeling. Early career experience includes roles at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory and as a Graduate Research Assistant at the Medical College of Georgia, where Shalini investigated molecular mechanisms in neurodegenerative disorders. Shalini holds a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from the Medical College of Georgia and a Bachelor’s degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences from Mumbai University Institute Of Chemical Technology.