Written by Chitrang Dani, Ph.D.
Chitrang has been a postdoctoral scholar in the Department of Biology at Vanderbilt since 2023, focusing his work on the evolution of circadian rhythms. Guided by curiosity and a sense of purpose, he has navigated both breakthroughs and inevitable missteps, finding growth through uncertainty. Originally from India, his scientific journey was shaped by a love for learning and exploration, alongside a continuing effort to ask sharper questions and refine his approach. While most studies on circadian rhythms are traditionally conducted under controlled laboratory conditions; during his Ph.D. in Bengaluru, he characterized how circadian clocks in fruit flies evolve under naturalistic conditions which set the course of his career for the next few years.
He joined the Johnson lab at Vanderbilt to attempt answering more fundamental questions about the evolution of circadian clocks. The transition was not without challenge, and a few things he tried along the way did not work out; but as his mentor often says, “As long as you keep moving, failures can become turning points.” Using cyanobacteria, which have one of the world’s oldest known complete circadian clocks, his work showed that a fundamental property of circadian clocks – their ability to sustain oscillations in absence of any environmental cues, may have evolved in response to seasonal variation in daylength. In simpler terms, the challenge of keeping time accurately in the face of changing seasons may be a reason why self-sustained circadian clocks in bacteria were evolutionarily favored, which is an exciting development for the field of chronobiology.
Parallelly with research, Chitrang also actively engaged in service work supporting international scholars through Vanderbilt International Researchers Alliance (VIRAL). Through this role, he has contributed to community-building and advocacy efforts aimed at improving access, guidance, and belonging for researchers navigating academic life across borders. Reflecting on his impact, Ritika Raghavan, former President of VIRAL, describes him as “someone who with his insight, initiative, and leadership drove the success of key events and the organization.”
He is now transitioning into a new role as a senior postdoc at the Department of Biology at Texas A&M University, where he will build on the scientific foundation and mentorship gained during his postdoctoral training to pursue the next stage of his research program.