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Pavithran R

- Research Program Mentor

MD/PhD candidate at University of Pennsylvania (UPenn)

Expertise

Cell signaling, cancer biology, mathematical modeling of biochemical networks, cancer immunotherapy

Bio

I am a bio-engineer by training and am currently an MD/PhD student at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. I obtained my BSE degree from Princeton University in the summer of 2019. My research interests range from developing gene circuits to implement user-defined functions in cells, mathematical modeling of networks to understand how they work, optogenetics to control cell signaling and Cas9 based assays. My research has resulted in 10 peer-reviewed publications and few more are in preparation.

Project ideas

Project ideas are meant to help inspire student thinking about their own project. Students are in the driver seat of their research and are free to use any or none of the ideas shared by their mentors.

Mathematical models of synthetic receptors for cancer therapy

In this project you will explore the blooming field of synthetic receptors to target cancer. We will utilize mathematical modeling to understand what parameters can be tuned to allow for the most selectivity and sensitivity.

Foundations of cellular therapies

In this project, you will survey the blooming field of cell-based therapies and explore the ways engineers are learning to make cells perform specific functions. You will write a scientific research paper in the style of Trends in Cancer or create a more fun way to explore your newfound knowledge.

Foundations of CRISPR-screening

In this project, you will survey the blooming field of CRISPR-screening and utilizing Cas9 to do high-throughput assays. You will write a scientific research paper in the style of Nature Biotechnology or create a more fun way to explore your newfound knowledge.

Cancer screening modalities

Cancer is a disease that, when caught early, actually has good outcomes. The tricky thing, however, is that for many forms of cancer, finding specific ways to identify cancer in the early stages is very difficult. Technologies to advance cancer screening are blossoming into amazing ways to find even the most minute traces of cancer.

Coding skills

MatLab, R

Languages I know

N/A

Teaching experience

I have taught math and English classes since high school (over eight years of experience). Since graduating high school, I have routinely gone back to my alma mater to mentor students in the research program to help them with their presentations for research competitions. In my current lab, I have mentored many rotation students and helped them understand our projects as well as work with them on their own independent work.

Credentials

Work experience

Princeton University - Toettcher Lab (2015 - 2021)
Research Specialist/Undergraduate Researcher
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center- Higginson Lab (2016 - 2018)
Summer Undergraduate Researcher
UCSF - Roybal Lab (2021 - 2021)
Research Technician

Education

Princeton University
BSE Bachelor of Science in Engineering (2019)
Chemical and Biological Engineering
University of Pennsylvania (UPenn)
MD/PhD Doctor of Medicine and of Philosophy candidate
Cancer Biology

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