Dr Sampurna Chakrabarti

Originally from Kolkata, India, Sampurna Chakrabarti earned a BS in Biological Sciences (Neuroscience track) and a BA in Psychology from the University at Buffalo, NY, USA. She then received a Gates Cambridge Scholarship to pursue her PhD at the University of Cambridge, UK, where she investigated mechanisms of peripheral sensitization in inflammatory knee pain and won multiple research awards, including a research stay at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory in Rome, Italy.

In 2020, Sam joined the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in Berlin, Germany, as a postdoctoral scientist studying mechanosensation and diversity of sensory neurons, supported by an Alexander von Humboldt Fellowship. During this time, she also secured several independent research grants, including the Grass Fellowship at the Marine Biological Laboratory, MA, USA, where she examined pain-like behavior in sharks.

Sam has published over 10 papers in leading journals, served as a reviewer for several reputed journals including PAIN and Science Advances, and is an Early Career Editorial Fellow at the Journal of Pain. Since October 2025, she has been leading the HUMAN-funded junior research group “Pathways in Infection and Nociception” (PAIN) at the HZI to study infection-induced changes in nerve function leading to pain in both mice and humans.