Here are some (not all!) side quests I get up to when I’m not in the lab/working at my desk:

Music

I started playing the veena (an Indian string instrument, think the cousin to the more famous sitar) when I was 9, and it has been an integral part of my life since then. Over the years, I’ve performed with different ensembles and friends, and had the privilege of performing a 2-hour solo recital when I was 19. In grad school, I’ve been a part of Yale Dhvani, an Indian Classical music group (both Hindustani and Carnatic) and we’ve done some cool gigs:

• Opened for Bollywood singer Kailash Kher at Stamford, CT in 2024
• A fusion piece with the Yale Chamber and Jazz groups in Spring 2025 and Spring 2026
• Provided live music for a dance (Bharatanatyam) production by Yale Kalaa in Spring 2024

Eclectic museum visits

This is a small (but hopefully growing) list of eclectic museums I’ve been to:

• The Ames Shovel Collection in Stonehill College, MA (it has >1000 shovels and a selection of shoes, including from famous Massachusetts celebrities)
• The Whaling Museum in New Bedford, MA, where my friend and I attended the annual Moby-Dick reading marathon

Baking

Some of my best products have been:

• Molly Baz’s Pistachio Brown Butter & Halva Chocolate Chunk Cookies (in this case, more is more)
• Tea-ramisu (tiramisu, but with chai instead of coffee)
• Medovik (which I baked for my birthday one year!)