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Hire Dr. Payel K.

United States

USD 120 /hr

PhD Neuroscientist & Human Health Risk Assessment Consultant | Toxicology, Regulatory & Scientific Writing

Profile Summary

I am a PhD-trained neuroscientist with extensive experience in preclinical drug development for Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative disorders, as well as metabolic disease, toxicology, human health risk assessment, and regulatory-style scientific writing. My work spans academic research, environmental and human health consulting, and translational neuroscience, with a strong focus on rigorous data interpretation and defensible scientific judgment. In preclinical drug development settings, I have led and supported mechanistic and translational research in Alzheimer’s disease, including interpretation of in vivo and in vitro efficacy and safety data to inform early-stage decision-making. I have deep experience integrating toxicological, pharmacological, and biological datasets to develop clear scientific narratives for internal teams and external stakeholders, including program-level summaries and background documents. In parallel, I have direct consulting experience conducting human health risk assessments in accordance with U.S. EPA and state regulatory guidance. This includes evaluating environmental and biological data for usability, estimating risk across multiple exposure pathways and receptors, and preparing high-quality technical work products such as risk assessment reports, technical memoranda, and regulatory-facing summaries. Across roles, I am known for clear, precise scientific writing, strong quantitative and qualitative data interpretation skills, and the ability to bridge disciplines — from neuroscience and toxicology to exposure science and regulatory frameworks. I am highly detail-oriented, quality-driven, and comfortable working independently or within multidisciplinary project teams under tight timelines. I am available for short- or long-term consulting engagements involving preclinical and translational neuroscience (including Alzheimer’s disease), toxicology and safety evaluation, human health risk assessment, exposure assessment, and regulatory or technical scientific writing for biotech and pharma companies, consulting firms, legal teams, and research organizations.

Subject Matter Expertise

• ★ Behavioral Neuroscience
• ★ In vivo Preclinical Toxicology
• ★ Health Risk Assessments
• ☆ Neuroscience
• ☆ Cognitive Neuroscience
• ☆ Neurology

Services

• Writing
• Research
• Consulting
• Data & AI

Writing Medical Writing, Technical Writing, Copywriting, Creative Writing, Newswriting, Audio Transcription, General Proofreading & Editing

Research Fact Checking, Scientific and Technical Research, Systematic Literature Review

Consulting Scientific and Technical Consulting

Data & AI Statistical Analysis

Work Experience

Postdoctoral Fellow

Oregon Health and Science University

September 2018 - Present

Health Scientist II

Stantec ChemRisk

March 2022 - May 2024

Education

PhD | Neuroscience

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

August 2013 - May 2018

Certifications

• PhD neuroscience

  University of Illinois

  May 2018 - Present

Publications

JOURNAL ARTICLE

Payel Kundu, Kanon Yasuhara, Mikah S. Brandes, Jonathan A. Zweig, Cody J. Neff, Sarah Holden, Kat Kessler, Steven Matsumoto, Halina Offner, Carin S. Waslo, et al. (2024). Centella asiatica Promotes Antioxidant Gene Expression and Mitochondrial Oxidative Respiration in Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis . Pharmaceuticals.

(2022). First person – Payel Kundu . Disease Models & Mechanisms.

Payel Kundu, Ines L. Paraiso, Jaewoo Choi, Cristobal L. Miranda, Chrissa Kioussi, Claudia S. Maier, Gerd Bobe, Jan F. Stevens, Jacob Raber (2022). Xanthohumol improves cognition in farnesoid X receptor-deficient mice on a high-fat diet . Disease Models & Mechanisms.

Payel Kundu, Sarah Holden, Ines L. Paraiso, Reetesh Sudhakar, Chloe McQuesten, Jaewoo Choi, Cristobal L. Miranda, Claudia S. Maier, Gerd Bobe, Jan F. Stevens, et al. (2022). ApoE isoform-dependent effects of xanthohumol on high fat diet-induced cognitive impairments and hippocampal metabolic pathways . Frontiers in Pharmacology.

Payel Kundu, Benjamin Zimmerman, Joseph F. Quinn, Jeffrey Kaye, Nora Mattek, Shawn K. Westaway, Jacob Raber (2022). Serum Levels of α-Klotho Are Correlated with Cerebrospinal Fluid Levels and Predict Measures of Cognitive Function . Journal of Alzheimer's Disease.

Payel Kundu, Sarah Holden, Eileen R. S. Torres, Reetesh Sudhakar, Destine Krenik, Dmytro Grygoryev, Mitchel S. Turker, Jacob Raber (2022). Apolipoprotein E Isoform-Dependent Effects on Human Amyloid Precursor Protein/Aβ-Induced Behavioral Alterations and Cognitive Impairments and Insoluble Cortical Aβ42 Levels . Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience.

Payel Kundu, Keaton Stagaman, Kristin Kasschau, Sarah Holden, Natalia Shulzhenko, Thomas J. Sharpton, Jacob Raber (2022). Fecal Implants From AppNL–G–F and AppNL–G–F/E4 Donor Mice Sufficient to Induce Behavioral Phenotypes in Germ-Free Mice . Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience.

Payel Kundu, Benjamin Zimmerman, Ruby Perez, Christopher T. Whitlow, J. Mark Cline, John D. Olson, Rachel N. Andrews, Jacob Raber (2021). Apolipoprotein E levels in the amygdala and prefrontal cortex predict relative regional brain volumes in irradiated Rhesus macaques . Scientific Reports.

Payel Kundu, Benjamin Zimmerman, William D. Rooney, Jacob Raber (2021). The Effect of High Fat Diet on Cerebrovascular Health and Pathology: A Species Comparative Review . Molecules.

Payel Kundu, Ines L. Paraiso, Thai Q. Tran, Armando Alcazar Magana, Jaewoo Choi, Claudia S. Maier, Gerd Bobe, Jacob Raber, Chrissa Kioussi, Jan F. Stevens (2021). Xanthohumol ameliorates Diet-Induced Liver Dysfunction via Farnesoid X Receptor-Dependent and Independent Signaling . Frontiers in Pharmacology.

Payel Kundu, Eileen Ruth S. Torres, Keaton Stagaman, Kristin Kasschau, Mariam Okhovat, Sarah Holden, Samantha Ward, Kimberly A. Nevonen, Brett A. Davis, Takashi Saito, et al. (2021). Integrated analysis of behavioral, epigenetic, and gut microbiome analyses in AppNL-G-F, AppNL-F, and wild type mice . Scientific Reports.

Payel Kundu, Benjamin Zimmerman, Zheng Liu, Henryk F. Urbanski, Christopher D. Kroenke, Steven G. Kohama, Cynthia L. Bethea, Jacob Raber (2020). Longitudinal Effects of Immediate and Delayed Estradiol on Cognitive Performance in a Spatial Maze and Hippocampal Volume in Menopausal Macaques Under an Obesogenic Diet . Frontiers in Neurology.

Payel Kundu, Shreya Patel, Daryl D. Meling, Kassie Deal, Liying Gao, William G. Helferich, Jodi A. Flaws (2018). The effects of dietary levels of genistein on ovarian follicle number and gene expression . Reproductive Toxicology.

Payel Kundu, Shreya Patel, Daryl D. Meling, Kassie Deal, Liying Gao, William G. Helferich, Jodi A. Flaws (2018). The effects of dietary levels of genistein on ovarian follicle number and gene expression . Reproductive Toxicology.

Payel Kundu, Donna L. Korol, Suren Bandara, Supida Monaikul, Caitlin E. Ondera, William G. Helferich, Ikhlas A. Khan, Daniel R. Doerge, Susan L. Schantz (2018). Licorice root components mimic estrogens in an object location task but not an object recognition task . Hormones and Behavior.

Payel Kundu, Steven L. Neese, Suren Bandara, Supida Monaikul, William G. Helferich, Daniel R. Doerge, Ikhlas A. Khan, Susan L. Schantz (2018). The effects of the botanical estrogen, isoliquiritigenin on delayed spatial alternation . Neurotoxicology and Teratology.

P Kundu, T Tunur, DL Korol, S Bandara, S Monaikul, WG Helferich, SL Schantz (2016). The Effects Of Estrogenic Components Of Licorice Root On Cognition . Planta Medica.

Payel Kundu, Denise Dellarosa Cummins (2013). Morality and conformity: The Asch paradigm applied to moral decisions . Social Influence.