Hexaware Technologies

Major Roles/Responsibilities:
•	Drive Innovation, thought leadership, Knowledge management
•	Create new offerings, assets – collaborating with various technology & services horizontal
•	Leverage Hexaware offerings, solutions and identify cross sell/upsell opportunities, GTM
•	Identify & drive industry specific alliances & partnerships
•	Support & lead RFX (bids), proactive client presentations
•	Enable & impart industry specific trainings
•	Support/drive marketing and analyst relations
•	Gather/update industry intelligence – apply for innovation, asset creation

Cell Gene & Other Advanced Therapies Practice Lead

Cognizant

Major Roles/Responsibilities:
• SME and Project Manager: J&J CAR-T Clinical Global project for digital tracking of patient and product journey for FDA approved anti-BCMA CAR-T Cell Therapy (CARVYKTI)
• Playing a pivotal role in establishing Cognizant CGT COE for providing comprehensive IT and Consulting solutions to CGT clients
• Support Client/Partner Engagement activities

Cell and gene therapies (CGTs) are the next wave of therapeutic innovation in the life sciences industry. With the potential to cure serious diseases like cancer, cardiovascular diseases and persistent virus infections, CGTs are poised to transform the pharmaceutical and biotech industry soon. The market is projected to grow rapidly, reaching sales forecasts of EUR 27.9 billion by 2026. There is little doubt that CGTs are a promising new segment. In order to enter the market, pharma & biotech companies must develop innovative strategies to achieve operational excellence through digital transformation.

We at Cognizant Industry Solutions Group (ISG) are focused on building digital capabilities and optimizing business processes that enable our clients commercialize and scale CGTs. I am passionate about unlocking the true potential of cell and gene therapies by creating a CGT Value Chain that’s transparent, real-time, and patient-centric. I have thorough understanding of every step along the CGT value chain:
• Clinical Site Selection, Onboarding and Execution
• Apheresis network strategy
• Patient Tracking and Monitoring
• Manufacturing and QC Testing
• Tracking Product Journey (COI/COC)

Manager-Projects (Life Sciences Industry Solutions Group)

Intas Pharmaceuticals

Worked as Cell Therapy Team Lead. My team was focused on developing and commercializing:
• Autologous and Allogeneic CAR-T cell therapy against hematological malignancies and solid tumors.
• Novel cell and gene therapies for β-Thalassemia, Sickle Cell Disease and other β-hemoglobinopathies

Managed all aspects of a research study-from conceptualization, initial planning and team coordination to execution, preclinical and clinical development.

Senior Research Scientist (Manager), Department of Cell and Gene Therapy, Biopharma Division

Worked in a high performing, innovative and cross-functional team in Department of Cell & Gene Therapy. Our team's focus was to develop effective CAR-T cell therapies against hematological malignancies and solid tumors.

Major Responsibilities:
• Anti CD19 CAR-T cell therapy product development
• Design CAR constructs and clone them into lentiviral vectors
• LV production and titer determination
• Develop CAR-T cell manufacturing process (T-cell isolation, activation, lentiviral transduction and expansion)
• Develop and execute immunological, cellular and biochemical assays to assess and optimize CAR-T cells functionality
• Critically analyze and interpret data, and design follow-up experiments
• Offer innovative, proactive approaches to scientific questions and troubleshooting efforts. Work collaboratively with other cross-functional teams 
• Regularly communicate and present results to Department head and other team members, prepare protocols and reports
• QA compliance and mentor junior research staff
• Stay up to date with the scientific and technical developments in my field

Research Scientist (Assistant Manager), Department of Cell and Gene Therapy, Biopharma Division

Altura Study Abroad Solutions

• Created content for website and marketing presentations
• Created online database of undergraduate and graduate programs in US, UK and Canada
• Helped clients with career counseling, course/university selection, admission assistance and visa applications

Assistant Program Manager

University of Pennsylvania

• Provided evidence based solutions to Biopharmaceutical/Life Sciences clients to help them identify global and local trends, opportunities and threats that could influence revenue, profitability and business footprint
• Monitored competitors’ product development — from R&D through lifecycle management and commercialization strategies
• Monitored medical conferences, including pre-planning and post-conference reporting
• Conducted primary research based on specific commercial, operational and/or organizational questions

PENN Biotech Group Healthcare Consulting

The Wistar Institute

• Using syngeneic mouse tumor models and LC-MS based oxidative lipidomics, discovered that upon migration to the site of tumor, Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells (MDSCs) accumulate high levels of lipid peroxides and undergo ferroptosis, a form of iron-dependent non-apoptotic programmed cell death
• Discovered that intratumoral MDSCs have lower levels of GPX4 (an enzyme that protects the cells from undergoing ferroptosis) compared to BM and Splenic MDSCs. As a result, intratumoral MDSCs have higher basal level of ferroptosis and higher sensitivity to ferroptosis inducers Erastin and RSL3 compared to BM and Splenic MDSCs
• Using RNA-seq, identified genes that are differentially expressed in intratumoral MDSCs compared to BM and Splenic MDSCs
• Established several tissue-specific knockout mice (GPX4 KO, MPO KO,FATP2 KO) to identify molecular pathways underlying GPX4 downregulation, increased lipid uptake, ROS production and lipid peroxide accumulation in intratumoral MDSCs
• Performed phenotypic and functional characterization of human MDSC subsets in blood and tumor tissue samples obtained due to our collaboration with several pharmaceutical companies running clinical trials for targeting MDSCs in cancer

Postdoctoral Research Fellow (Dr. Dmitry Gabrilovich's Lab)

Hepatitis B Foundation

• Discovered three potent human STING agonists by utilizing a cell-based high-throughput screening assay. Also validated the efficacy of these human STING agonists as anti-tumor agents in mouse xenograft models
• Identified the molecular mechanisms of STING agonist-induced tumor cell death
• Studied the role of the cGAS-STING pathway in the innate immune response against HBV 
• Studied the role of IFITM family of proteins on the entry of Human Coronaviruses
• Took full responsibility of training PhD students and visiting scientists in the lab

Postdoctoral Research Fellow (Dr. Ju-Tao Guo's Lab)

Drexel University College of Medicine

I received my PhD in Cell & Molecular Biology from Drexel University. My thesis advisor Dr. Pooja Jain’s lab focuses on studying the interaction between chronic viruses and Dendritic cells (DCs). My dissertation research was to dissect the role of DCs in HIV-1/HCV co-infection. The main goal of my dissertation research was to study transcriptomic, proteomic and functional changes in peripheral blood myeloid DCs (mDCs) and plasmacytoid DCs (pDCs) in response to Interferon-Ribavirin combination treatment, and how these changes correlated with the treatment outcome. In one of my published research article, I showed pre-treatment frequencies of mDCs are lower in non-responders (NRs) compared to responders (SVRs) and healthy controls. Although, the treatment restored the frequencies of mDCs to normal levels, the expression of key functional markers CCR7, CD54 and CD62L was reduced. Pre-treatment frequencies of pDCs were lower in NRs and decreased further upon treatment. Compared to SVRs, NRs exhibited higher ratio of PD-L1+/CD86+ pDCs prior to treatment; and this ratio remained high even after treatment. These findings demonstrate that enumeration and phenotypic assessment of DCs before/during therapy can help predict the treatment outcome. I also reported that pretreatment mRNA levels of several ISGs were higher in SVRs compared to NRs. Upon genotyping IFNL3 polymorphisms rs12979860, rs4803217 and ss469415590, we found rs12979860 to be a better predictor of treatment outcome. Collectively, our study led to identification of important genetic and immunological correlates of IFN/RBV treatment response in HIV-1/HCV co-infected individuals. 

In a separate article, I demonstrated that IFN-α exerts both antiproliferative and immunomodulatory effects on mDCs via miR-221 downregulation; and IFN-miR-221 axis can play important role in HCV pathogenesis and treatment.

Research Assistant

Drexel University

As a TA for various freshmen and sophomore Biology courses I was involved with:

-Discussing assigned duties with classroom teachers in order to coordinate instructional efforts.
-Preparing lesson materials, bulletin board displays, exhibits, equipment, and demonstrations
-Presenting subject matter to students under the direction and guidance of teachers, using lectures, discussions, or supervised role-playing methods
-Tutoring and assist children individually or in small groups in order to help them master assignments and to reinforce learning concepts presented by teachers

Teaching Assistant

The Princeton Review

• Helped clients who wanted to study abroad with career counseling, course/university selection and admission assistance
• Helped clients secure scholarships/financial aid
• Helped with visa guidance as well as pre-departure and post-arrival assistance

Senior admissions counsellor

Experienced, highly motivated, versatile and result-oriented professional with a PhD in Biological Sciences from Drexel University, US. 

Has strong research background and exceptional publication record in cancer biology, virology, and immunology. Expertise in several in vitro, in vivo and ex vivo models across multiple therapeutic areas. As a trained scientist, able to solve complex business problems that require deep scientific and technical knowledge.

Experience in all stages of life sciences product development - Research & Discovery, Clinical Development, Manufacturing, Logistics & Supply Chain, Commercial & Marketing, Medical Affairs & Patient Services. Possess excellent communication, presentation and interpersonal skills and the ability to collaborate successfully with cross-functional teams. 

Currently working as cell, gene, and other advanced therapies lead at Hexaware Technologies. Part of a global life-sciences and healthcare consulting, pre-sales and solutions team focused on helping clients commercialize and scale their therapies. Have the ability to engage the clients at strategic level and to translate these strategic discussions to products and solutions.

Hands-on experience in project management and leadership roles with people, partner and client management experience. 

Core specialties are:
• Cell, Gene, and Advanced therapies
• Precision Medicine
• Oncology
• Immunotherapies
• Biomarkers
• Drug Discovery
• Clinical Data Management
• AI/ML solutions for Life Sciences & Healthcare

Passionate about helping pharmaceutical/biotech/healthcare clients build digital capabilities needed to drive innovation, improve productivity and performance, and develop successful portfolio and asset strategies.

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