Greater Boston
Scientist with 8+ years of experience developing injectable and implantable biomaterials for immune modulation, vaccine delivery, and cell regeneration. Proven track record spanning NIH-funded research, high-impact publications, and early-stage biotech product development in fast-paced, translational environments.
• Joined as the inaugural full-time hire; spearheaded R&D operations including the laboratory site setup, development of foundational research strategies, and establishment of SOPs. • Led development and preclinical characterization of an implantable device designed to modulate stem cell differentiation and accelerate T cell neogenesis. • Led the design and execution of animal studies to evaluate how the implantable device interacts with recruited hematopoietic stem cells, successfully validating device function in both syngeneic and humanized murine transplant models. • Regularly presented technical data and strategic recommendations to the CEO and academic founders, Prof. David Mooney (Harvard) and Prof. David Scadden (Harvard), directly informing product direction and development priorities.
• Awarded NIH F31 Pre-doctoral Fellowship (F31HL164055) through the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute to support independent research. • Served as inaugural graduate student in Prof. Nisarg J. Shah’s laboratory; led lab setup, equipment procurement, and protocol development while mentoring undergraduate and graduate researchers. • Engineered injectable, degradable hyaluronic acid (HA) cryogel scaffolds that accelerated neutrophil reconstitution following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. • Developed an HA cryogel-based cancer vaccine platform that enhanced adaptive immune responses and prevented melanoma progression in murine models.
• Contributed to research published in Nature Biotechnology focused on injectable bioengineered scaffolds to enhance T cell reconstitution. • Performed in vitro materials characterization and in vivo evaluation of implantable biomaterials in bone marrow transplant models.
• Evaluated the effects of small molecules and siRNAs on 3D ocular model (see below) for both internal R&D and client collaborations.
• Assisted with development of an in vitro 3D tissue model of the eye’s conventional outflow tract to screen pre-clinical glaucoma therapeutics. • Designed and executed in vitro studies including fabrication of polymer substrate in cleanroom and seeding of primary human cells onto scaffold.