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Dr Sindhuja Tirumalai Govindarajan
Name:
Dr Sindhuja Tirumalai Govindarajan
Job title:
Assistant Professor
Place of work / study:
University of Pennsylvania / Karolinska Institutet
Area of Research:
Neuroimaging; Cardiovascular risk factors to accelerated aging and dementia
How is your work funded:
National Institute on Aging; Alzheimer’s Association
Tell us a little about yourself:
I am an Alzheimer’s Association Research Fellow and postdoctoral researcher at the University of Pennsylvania, where I develop machine learning methods to analyse brain images and detect early signs of neurodegeneration, with a particular focus on modifiable cardiovascular risk factors.
In Autumn 2026, I will take up a new position as Assistant Professor in the Department of Clinical Neuroscience at the Karolinska Institutet. There, my work will use population data, ultra-high-field 7 Tesla MRI, and advanced neuroimaging techniques to study neurodegeneration.
Beyond my research, I am a dedicated mentor and advocate for underrepresented early-career researchers. I am the outgoing Chair of the Professional Interest Area for Elevating Early Career Researchers, PEERs PIA, within ISTAART, and I also serve the broader scientific community as Program Committee Chair and proceedings editor for the Machine Learning in Clinical Neuroimaging, MLCN, workshop at MICCAI.
Tell us a fun fact about yourself:
I am currently preparing for a massive transatlantic move from the US to Sweden. This means my current ‘hobby’ involves playing a high-stakes, real-life game of Tetris trying to fit my life into a specific number of suitcases (and trying to figure out how early is too early to start buying heavier winter coats).
Why did you choose to work in dementia?
We are living longer than ever before, and we’ve made such incredible medical advances against so many other diseases. But when it comes to the brain, it feels like we are always playing catch-up. That is exactly what drew me to dementia research. We know the brain begins changing decades before symptoms appear. The idea that we can use machine learning to catch those incredibly subtle, early whispers of neurodegeneration and give people a chance to intervene through modifiable risk factors is incredibly motivating.
What single piece of advise would you give to an early career researcher?
Don’t isolate yourself in your specific sub-field or lab. Science is inherently collaborative, but as an early-career researcher, it’s easy to get tunnel vision. Without exposure to diverse perspectives, it is incredibly easy to get swept up in that momentum and funneled down a research path or lifestyle that doesn’t actually work for you. Build a community early on – whether that’s joining international interest groups, finding peer mentors, or just talking to people outside your domain. Your peers are the ones who will celebrate your breakthroughs, normalize the rejections, and eventually become your collaborators. Finding your community can make the academic journey more sustainable.
What book are you reading right now? Would you recommend it?
Nothing right now
Favourite film of all time?
Not sure
Favourite ways to unplug and unwind?
Getting out in the nature with friends and family; Sunday brunch; Watercoloring; Reading, or more recently listening to audiobooks.
What’s the best decision you ever made?
The best decision I’ve ever made was refusing to isolate myself when things got tough. Instead of giving up when I felt cornered, I chose to reach out to my friends and community to help find a way forward. Every single time I’ve leaned on my network during a challenging pivot, I’ve come out the other side stronger, wiser, and better for it.
What’s your favourite vacation spot?
The best vacation spot is wherever matches your exact state of mind. For me, it’s about the experience rather than a specific destination: somewhere that brings you absolute peace when you need to recharge, but serves up pure excitement when you’re in the mood for an adventure.
Do you collect anything?
Coins from different parts of the world; Good notebooks and pens.
