University of North Texas 
Two University of North Texas postdoctoral researchers have been selected for the second cohort of the HSRU Postdoctoral Fellowship Program, a competitive national initiative designed to prepare emerging scholars for tenure-track faculty careers at research-intensive universities.
The selection highlights UNT's role as a member of HSRU, a coalition of 24 research institutions committed to expanding research excellence, increasing opportunities for doctoral education, and strengthening the nation's scientific and academic workforce. Together, HSRU institutions serve more than one million students and invest approximately $9 billion annually in research while collaborating to prepare the next generation of researchers, faculty and innovators.
Through the HSRU Postdoctoral Fellowship Program, fellows participate in a year-long professional development experience that includes mentorship, cross-institutional collaboration, leadership training, campus visits and networking with university leaders. The program is designed to help outstanding postdoctoral scholars build the research, teaching and leadership skills needed to succeed as faculty members at research-intensive universities.
Among this year's fellows are Karan Kakroo and Jabila Mary Thankaraj Rajam, whose research spans engineering and biomedical sciences. Their selection reflects not only the quality and impact of their research but also UNT's commitment to cultivating researchers who address complex global challenges through interdisciplinary collaboration and mentorship.
Karan Kakroo’s research focuses on the understanding of how fluids behave in dynamic
environments with broad applications in energy systems, engineering design and advanced
manufacturing. Kakroo’s research examines how complex flow patterns interact with
flexible systems, helping engineers design more efficient technologies and improve
flow control systems. She does this by combining advanced simulation with experimental
methods, developing new insights into vortex dynamics and flexible systems that could
influence next-generation engineering technologies.
Jabila Mary Thankaraj Rajam’s research takes on equally urgent challenges in human
health through work focused on the genetics of hemostasis and thrombosis, the biological
processes that control bleeding and clotting. Using zebrafish and mouse models, she
studies how genes regulate platelet production and blood clotting, with the goal of
uncovering new treatments for bleeding disorders and thrombotic diseases. Through
large-scale genetic screening of more than 1,000 genes, Rajam has identified previously
unknown blood clotting regulators, helping expand scientific understanding of how
these systems function and fail.
Together, their research highlights the breadth of discovery happening at UNT from engineering solutions that improve energy and fluid systems to biomedical breakthroughs that could transform healthcare.
The HSRU Fellowship provides national recognition for early-career researchers whose work shows strong potential for impact and leadership. For UNT, it also reinforces the university’s commitment to developing scholars who not only advance knowledge but translate research into solutions that benefit society.
As Kakroo and Rajam continue their research journeys, their work represents the next generation of academic leaders driven by discovery, collaboration and a commitment to solving real-world problems.