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Newsmakers of the Week FEBRUARY 28, 2025 | The Indian Eye 28

NEWSMAKERS OF THE WEEK

Selected stories about Indian diaspora from our website www.theindianeye.com

DR. RAM DIXIT KARAN AUJLA
Scientist honored Singer collaborates with

for Outstanding Achievement OneRepublic for upcoming single

in Science ‘Tell Me’

r. Ram Dixit, a professor and chair of biology in Arts & Sciences at inger Karan Aujla is set to collaborate with American pop superstars
the Washington University has been awarded with the Fellows Award OneRepublic on their upcoming single “Tell Me,” produced by musician
D(Outstanding Achievement in Science) by the Academy of Science – St. SIkky, who has previously collaborated with Aujla on hits like “Softly,”
Louis for his remarkable contribution to science. This award will be presented “Jee Ni Lagda,” and others.
at the Outstanding St. Louis Scientists Awards Ceremony on April 3 at the This exciting news comes as Aujla extends his global recording deal with
Missouri Botanical Garden. Warner Music Canada and Warner Music India.
Dixit is a distinguished biologist whose research on the cytoskeleton is For Karan Aujla, working with OneRepublic has been a long-standing
enhancing the understanding of cell shape and plant morphogenesis. Dixit, dream. The Punjabi music powerhouse expressed his excitement over the col-
who studies the molecular machinery that constructs plant cell walls, was cho- laboration, and said, “Working with OneRepublic has been a dream of mine
sen for the Fellows Award, which recognizes a distinguished individual for for years, so this collaboration is a big deal. It’s exciting to finally share this
outstanding achievement in science. news, and I know fans are going to love the song. And returning to Warner to
Dixit’s research elucidates the mechanisms underlying plant cell mor- release this music feels like coming home. We made my last album the biggest
phogenesis — the process by which plants develop their shape and structure. of my career, and I’m ready to make my return even bigger with more surpris-
He focuses on the cortical microtubule cytoskeleton, which defines plant cell es in store,” in a press note.
shape by serving as a scaffold for cell wall assembly. Dixit’s research group Ryan Tedder, OneRepublic’s frontman, expressed his excitement about
conducts its work using a combination of live imaging, in vitro reconstitution at the collaboration, and said, “I have been obsessed with Indian culture and
single-molecule resolution, molecular genetics and computational modeling. music since our first show in India. I’ve been looking for the right opportunity
Dixit is a principal investigator with the National Science Foundation to collaborate with local artists, and I couldn’t be more excited about this song
(NSF) Science and Technology Center for Engineering Mechanobiology, a and our work with Karan.”
WashU-Penn partnership. The center advances the study of mechanical forc- Kristen Burke, President of Warner Music Canada, praised Aujla’s global
es in molecules, cells and tissues in plants and animals. Dixit has published impact, and said, “Karan is a generational artist whose music has broken down
in Science, the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, The Plant borders, both culturally and geographically. We’re excited to be working with
Cell, The Plant Journal, Current Biology and Nature Plants, among others. him on this next chapter to expand his impact on music and culture globally.”
Dixit received a CAREER Award from the NSF in 2015. Jay Mehta, Managing Director of Warner Music India & SAARC, also ex-
Since its inception, the Outstanding St. Louis Scientists Awards has hon- pressed his enthusiasm about the project, calling Karan Aujla an artist who “con-
ored some of the brightest minds in the region, celebrating their exceptional stantly evolves, pushing the limits of what Punjabi and global music can achieve.”
achievements, groundbreaking discoveries, and lasting impact on science and The track, titled ‘Tell Me,’ is set to release on February 27, 2025, and
society. This year’s honorees represent a diverse array of disciplines, from promises to blend Aujla’s Punjabi roots with OneRepublic’s global pop sound.
plant science and medicine to artificial intelligence and STEM education. Continued on next page... >>

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