Deepti received her Master’s degree from the University of Delhi in India. Initially drawn to the field of zoology, her study organisms became smaller as she advanced in her education. During her Master’s degree, she developed an interest in host-microbe-pathogen interactions while studying the evolution of Mycobacterium tuberculosis as a human-adapted pathogen. Following the completion of her Master’s degree, Deepti worked as a project associate at the University of Delhi, focusing on clinical diagnostics and host-microbiome dynamics in TB patients. Intrigued by the dynamic role of cell envelope lipids in the adaptability of this notorious pathogen to the human host, she joined the Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (IGIB, Delhi) to study the role of putative phospholipases in conferring virulence to bacteria and enabling the remodelling of cell membrane lipids in M. tuberculosis. In 2023, Deepti joined the Kline lab as a PhD student to study the mechanisms underlying Enterococcus faecalis‘ ability to persist inside macrophages during infection, and to understand how this intracellularity contributes to the progression of the disease in the host. Outside of her scientific pursuits, Deepti enjoys making mandalas, cooking for special occasions (albeit not more than eating), and walking along natural trails.