ORCID 0009-0005-4158-4502Dr. Navya Uppu obtained her Master's in Pharmacy (2018) from Manipal University, India, and her Ph.D. in Molecular Sciences and Nanotechnology (2024) from Louisiana Tech University. Her dissertation focuses on understanding the in vitro uptake of quantum dots by brain microglia, which play a crucial role in initiating tumor growth and spread and leading to neurodegenerative disorders like Parkinson's disease. She currently works as a Research and Development Engineer II at Nanogaia, working on a full Phase-I NSF- SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research) proposal. She received several awards, including People's Choice Award in the 3 Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition 2023, First Place for Poster Presentation at COES Graduate Student Symposium 2023, Outstanding Academic Performance and International Community Involvement 2021-2022, and Outstanding Achievement in Academics and Research Award 2020-2021