Payal received her Bachelor's degree in Cell and Molecular biology from Vikram Sarabhai Institute of Cell and Molecular biology, Maharaja Sayajirao University, Baroda. She then pursued her master's degree in Biotechnology from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. She is interested in the field of neuroscience and immunology and wants to work toward developing therapeutic tools to tackle neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders. In her spare time, she likes to read and listen to podcasts.