Ankura Sitaula Receives Roozbeh Arianpour Endowed Memorial Scholarship for Research Excellence

By: TAMU Biology

The Department of Biology at Texas A&M has named Ph.D. candidate Ankura Sitaula as the recipient of the 2025 Roozbeh Arianpour Endowed Memorial Scholarship, recognizing her as one of the department’s rising stars in research.

Established by Farideh Moharer Arianpour to honor the memory of her son, Roozbeh Arianpour ’02—whose life and ambitions were tragically cut short—this award is presented annually to a graduate student who demonstrates not only research productivity but also creativity, leadership, and the strength of character that defined Roozbeh’s legacy.

Dr. Aref Zarin, Assistant Professor and Sitaula’s advisor, describes her impact in unequivocal terms. “Ankura stands out as one of the most exceptional early-career scientists I have had the privilege of training,” he writes.

Sitaula’s research focuses on the intricacies of brain function: Specifically, she investigates how neurotransmitter receptors—especially nicotinic acetylcholine receptors—shape the neural circuits underlying movement in Drosophila (fruit fly) larvae. Her groundbreaking discovery that these receptors are present in insect astrocytes, not just neurons, has challenged prevailing dogma and opened a new research area for her lab. Building on Ankura’s foundational work, her lab secured a $50,000 award from the Strategic Transformative Research Program (STRP), which supports proposals with strong potential to drive bold, transformative, and high-impact research. This project, along with her significant contributions to other major initiatives in the lab, has paved the way for a cluster of high-impact publications—featuring Ankura as both first and co-first author.

Her technical mastery spans a broad suite of advanced methods, from optogenetics and calcium imaging to large-scale behavior assays and computational analysis. According to Zarin, “these skills are rare even among advanced postdocs, yet she had mastered them within her first two years of graduate training.”

Beyond her research, Sitaula excels in teaching and mentorship, consistently receiving praise from undergraduate students and serving as a role model to junior lab members. She has mentored five undergraduate researchers, trained every new lab member, and brought her “warm personality, clarity of instruction, and team-first attitude” to every role. Recently, Sitaula secured a prestigious internship at Boehringer Ingelheim, where she will pivot her research skills toward biomedical applications, studying extracellular vesicles in kidney tissue.

“In summary, Ankura Sitaula is a rare talent: a deeply motivated, intellectually fearless, technically skilled, and emotionally mature scientist,” Zarin concludes. “She exemplifies the spirit of the Roozbeh Arianpour Endowed Memorial Scholarship in Biology, and I can think of no more deserving recipient.”

With this award, Sitaula’s name joins a legacy of excellence, aspiration, and resilience—one that honors not only scientific achievement, but also the enduring spirit of Roozbeh Arianpour.