Education Background:

• M.S. in Nutrition and Metabolism: Boston University, USA
• M.Sc. in Nutrition and Dietetics: University College for Women, India
• B.Sc. in Applied Nutrition and Public Health: St. Ann’s College for Women, India

Research Projects: Gene therapy research, including AAV production, plasmid cloning, quality control through droplet digital PCR (ddPCR), and SDS-PAGE assays

Research Interest: My aim is to combine nutrition and gene therapy to develop treatments that address the underlying causes of diseases, focusing on cures that integrate dietary and genetic approaches.

Career Ambition: Aspiring to integrate my knowledge in nutrition and gene therapy to develop innovative treatments that target the root causes of diseases. My goal is to contribute to groundbreaking cures that combine dietary and genetic approaches to combat conditions such as cancer and metabolic disorders.

Memberships: Lifetime member of the Indian Dietetic Association

Awards and Honors: Awarded scholarship for my Masters studies at Boston University, Qualified Assistant Professor (2019) in India, Awarded with TWO Gold Medals for the subject of Nutrition during my undergraduate program

adarga@meei.harvard.edu

Education Background: M.S Chemical Engineering, Arizona State University.
B.S Chemical Engineering, MIT-WPU Pune

Research Projects: AAV Production and NGS Library Preparation

Research Interest: AAV and CRISPR-Cas9 associated Gene Therapy

Career Ambition: Gene Therapy Scientist

Awards and Honors: Engineering Graduate Fellowship, The Master’s Opportunity for Research in Engineering

sbrahmankar@meei.harvard.edu

Education: Bachelor’s in Health Sciences, Minors in Psychology and Chemistry

Research Interest: Stem Cell Therapy, Neurodegenerative Diseases

Career Ambition: Lab Coordinator

Awards & Honors: Dean’s List (all years of college)

mchagnon2@meei.harvard.edu

Education: Bachelors and Masters in Biotechnology, Doctoral degree in Synthetic Biology

Research Projects: I am undertaking the existing challenge associated with the manufacturing of AAV vectors by adopting a synthetic biology approach in engineering the key molecular determinants.

Research Interest: Gene Therapy, Synthetic Biology, DNA/RNA therapeutics, Viral vectors development/engineering

Career Ambition: Development of genetic medicines while using the principles of synthetic biology

Awards & Honors: Scholarships for both Masters and Bachelors studies from the respective educational institutions.

jdoshi1@meei.harvard.edu

Anil Chekuri, PhD, has been focused on understanding the molecular bases of Inherited Retinal Degenerations (IRDs) and Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD). He aims to investigate key molecular pathways underlying several forms of retinal dystrophies and development of therapeutic targets to rescue retinal function. His research also focuses on the development of novel Adeno Associated Viral (AAV) vectors with improved retinal tropism and efficacy for therapeutic delivery suitable for translational studies. Dr. Chekuri is currently working to develop gene therapy for various forms of retinal disorders.

achekuri@mgh.harvard.edu