The UIAC Team

Dr. Lekha Menon Margassery

President, UIAC

A Corkconian since 2008, Dr. Lekha Menon Margassery completed her PhD in Microbiology from UCC in 2013. She is a researcher by profession, dancer by passion, social worker by nature and a poet by chance.

She obtained a gold medal on completion of her Master’s degree in Biochemistry from PSG College of Arts and Science, Coimbatore, India. After a short period of work as a Lecturer, she moved to Cork. On her experience here, she likes to say — “I am Indian by heart and Irish by soul”.

She is the founding member and the President of UCC Indian Alumni Community, a board member of UCC Alumni and Development, the EDI Ambassador at the School of Microbiology, the President of the World Malayalee Council, Cork Division and the founder and Director of Aatma Indian Dance Troupe, Cork.

Currently, she is working as a Postdoctoral Researcher at the School of Microbiology. She has been awarded the “Exceptional Citizen” award at the UCC Staff Recognition awards in 2021.

Pooja Jayaprakash

Vice-President, UIAC

Pooja is working as a Research Scientist in a pharma company called Eirna Bio.
She completed her PhD at School of Microbiology, UCC, as a Marie-Curie fellow in a project called “Yeastdoc” and worked in collaboration between University in Milan and UCC.

She completed her Master’s in Molecular Cell Biology and Innovation in 2016 and worked for a few years as a researcher in UCC.

She is a travel enthusiast and likes to take up new challenges.

Dr. Anuya Mane

Joint Secretary, UIAC

Dr. Anuya is currently working as a postdoctoral fellow in Teagasc, Moorepark. She is a sustainability and nature activist at heart, and Dairy technologist by profession.

She completed her M.Sc. and PhD from School of Food and Nutritional Sciences, UCC and worked previously as a visiting lecturer at Department of Food Science, Shivaji University, Kolhapur, Maharashtra after completing her M.Sc. in Biochemistry.

She mentors students to pursue their studies abroad and is actively involved in volunteering for student activities in Cork and India.

In her free time, she enjoys travelling places, trying fusion food and dancing.

Sonal Gadhvi

Finance Officer, UIAC

Sonal is working as a P2P Analyst at Apple, Cork.

She completed her Masters in Corporate Finance at UCC.

She is a dancer with Aatma Indian Dance Troupe, Cork. She also enjoys outdoor adventure activities.

Manasi Nadkarni

Joint Secretary, UIAC

Manasi is working as a research assistant at APC Microbiome Ireland. She has an avid interest in health promotion.

Having pursued her undergraduate degree in Microbiology, and Dance and her postgraduate degree in Virology and Public Health (UCC), she hopes to combine the two and promote sustainable development goals through the medium of dance.

In her free time, she enjoys scrolling through social media and shaking a leg to the latest trend.