Los Angeles, California, United States
As a Master’s student at the University of Southern California majoring in Molecular Microbiology and Immunology and soon-to-be PhD student in Biomedical and Biological Sciences, I am deeply driven by research with a focus on public health and disease diagnostics. My primary interest lies in immunology, signal transduction and understanding the molecular mechanisms that drive immune cells towards pro-/anti-tumor phenotypes. My undergraduate experience includes co-founding Synapse, the first student-run biotechnology association at BMSCE, where I also served as treasurer. Additionally, I was a core committee member and treasurer for Phase Shift 2022, BMSCE’s international annual technical symposium, and a club coordinator for The Groovehouse, the university’s western music club. I graduated at the top of my class, with a CGPA of 9.77 on a 10 scale, and a 4.0 GPA. My research background includes a project aimed at optimising bioethanol production through chemical and biological methods, exploring non-conventional cellulose sources to increase biofuel accessibility. I have also interned at the Institute for Stem Cell Science and Regenerative Medicine, where I was involved in structural biology and high-throughput screening studies for cancer-related proteins. Beyond academics, I am passionate about music, public speaking, and creative writing. I take pride in my ability to communicate complex concepts effectively, present scientific seminars, and conduct in-depth literature reviews. I am committed to advancing our understanding of molecular mechanisms in disease and leveraging that knowledge for public health improvements.
Graduate Student Researcher in Dr David Tran's Neuro-Oncology Research Program, investigating how to improve the localization of anti-tumor lymphocytes to the brain, as part of a bigger research initiative to shift the clinical paradigm of glioblastoma (GBM) therapy.
Graduate Student Researcher in Dr. Weiming Yuan's lab, exploring the molecular mechanisms that help HSV-1 evade immune surveillance. Primary experimental strategies included the transient transfection of HEK 293T cells with genes thought to play a role in immune evasion and observing the protein product of these genes through IHC, Western Blotting, FACS and so on.
Member of the Executive Board for the 2025-26 academic year, focusing on ideating and executing various multidisciplinary events for the Keck School of Medicine
-Intern at the Centre for Chemical Biology and Therapeutics (CCBT) under Dr. Neelagandan Kamariah -Was part of the Structural Biology team, carrying out independent experiments to clone, modify, express and purify various proteins of therapeutic interest, to screen against potential drug compounds and crystallize to delineate their structural characteristics
-Co-Founded Synapse, the first student-run Biotechnology Association at BMSCE -Managed funds and accounting; organized events aimed at enriching the undergraduate experience and industry exposure for students interested in Biotechnology and its applications
-Intern at the Analytical R&D Department of the Micro Advanced Research Centre under Ms. Geetha V -Underwent training on the use of modern Bioanalytical instruments and techniques to study various drug formulations at various stages of the drug development process