Diagnosing Parkinson’s disease has long relied on observable symptoms—despite the disease originating in the brain. At KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Satarupa Chakrabarti has been working to change that. As a Digital Futures Postdoctoral Fellow based in Stockholm, she has developed machine learning methods to uncover overlooked temporal patterns in brain activity—an approach that could lead to more accurate diagnosis and a deeper understanding of disease progression. Now, as she prepares to leave Stockholm at the end of her fellowship, we spoke with her about her interdisciplinary research journey, her time in Sweden, and what lies ahead as she takes the next step in her career. Her main supervisor is Arvind Kumar, Division of Computational Science and Technology at KTH, and her co-supervisor is Saikat Chatterjee, Division of Information Science and Engineering at KTH.
Since joining KTH as a Digital Futures Postdoctoral Fellow, how has your experience in Sweden shaped your research approach and collaborations?
– Joining the Digital Futures Postdoctoral Fellowship at KTH has been a great learning experience. It opened new avenues for me, gave me new insights into research I was already involved in, and brought forward new opportunities for collaboration, which are essential for an early-career researcher.
Coming from a strong interdisciplinary background in India, what differences have you noticed in the research culture and work environment in Sweden, particularly within Digital Futures?
– There is a strong presence of interdisciplinary research culture in Sweden. What I loved and found inspiring here is that people do not shy away from sharing and talking about their work and exchanging ideas and pointers. There is a positive approach even when being critical of someone’s work. I found this interesting and slightly different. Different workshops and programs throughout the year help in exchanging ideas and getting feedback. Apart from this, a special mention goes to the working environment at Digital Futures. Meeting with professors across domains, attending seminar series and lectures, and holding discussions—the place has a busy yet laid-back environment. It was a treat spending time here, whether in the designated workspaces, the silent rooms that provided privacy for one-to-one meetings, or the cafeteria with its amazing coffee that made work enjoyable.
How has living in Stockholm influenced your personal and professional life during this postdoctoral period?
– Stockholm has been great, and the people here have helped me in many ways so that I feel comfortable and at home. I learned the value of time and what it means to be punctual. This, in turn, has helped me in both my personal and professional life. Also, Digital Futures became my home away from home during these two years. I have spent the best two years of my life surrounded by wonderful people.
As your project on Parkinson’s disease biomarkers approaches its conclusion in 2026, what are the most important outcomes you hope to achieve, and how do you envision this research impacting clinical practice?
– Although my work here is coming to an end, my research related to Parkinson’s and other neurodegenerative diseases will continue. Through this project, I gained an understanding of the temporal dynamics in Parkinson’s disease and how reorganization and changes take place at the network level. This work was also an eye-opener for me and will help me pursue further research regarding biomarkers in Parkinson’s disease and how they can have a clinical impact.
What are your plans after completing the Digital Futures fellowship—do you see yourself continuing in academia, expanding into industry applications of machine learning in healthcare, or pursuing new interdisciplinary directions?
– As I complete the Digital Futures fellowship, I find myself more drawn to academia and will continue pursuing it in healthcare as well as other interdisciplinary domains. Also, as I move back to India, I will start a new job as an Assistant Professor at the National Institute of Technology Allahabad. I am looking forward to new challenges and adventures.
