I'm a Master's student in Biotechnology at Johns Hopkins, working in the Adamo Lab at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. My research sits at the intersection of immune biology and cardiac tissue engineering.
I'm building hiPSC-cardiomyocyte co-culture models with B cells to study how immune–cardiac interactions influence tissue function, contractility, and inflammatory response. In parallel, I analyze single-cell multi-omic data (scRNA-seq + CITE-seq) from maternal PBMCs to map immune population shifts in preeclampsia. Before Hopkins, I worked in CAR-T cell R&D at Aurigene Oncology, built 3D lung cancer spheroid models at IISc Bangalore, conducted clinical oncology research that led to a publication in Frontiers in Oncology, and developed computational genomics and ML-based prediction pipelines for cancer and neurodegeneration.
I also serve as a Program Lead at Nucleate DMV, where I source academic technologies and support early-stage venture programming across the DC-Maryland-Virginia biotech ecosystem.
I'm drawn to environments where experimental biology and computational analysis converge in translational R&D, immune engineering, cell therapy, or computational biology. I graduate in May 2027.
AISIRI VEERABHADRAPPA
MS in Biotechnology at Johns Hopkins
Email:
Address:
Baltimore, MD United States
EDUCATION
2027
Master of Science in Biotechnology
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore MD, United States
2025
Bachelor of Engineering in Biotechnology
RV College of Engineering
Bangalore, India
EXPERIENCE
Adamo Lab | Johns Hopkins School of Medicine March 2026 - Present Graduate Student Research Assistant
-
Designed B-cell–cardiomyocyte co-culture systems using hiPSC-derived engineered heart tissues and primary adult mouse cardiomyocytes; evaluated experimental conditions through flow cytometry, contractility, calcium, and RNA- based readouts
-
Analyzing scRNA-seq and CITE-seq data from preeclampsia patient PBMCs in R/Seurat, covering demultiplexing, QC, clustering, cell-type annotation, differential expression, and pathway analysis
Ross Lab | Johns Hopkins School of Medicine Oct 2025 - Jan 2026
Graduate Student Research Technician
-
Maintained an Ankyrin-G knockout mouse colony to support studies on neuronal excitability. Handled genotyping, breeding records, perfusion, and brain dissection, all under IACUC-approved protocols
-
Prepared acute brain slices and supported whole-cell patch-clamp electrophysiology recordings to measure how loss of AnkG changes the way neurons fire
Vishwakarma Lab, Dept of Bioengineering | IISc Bangalore Mar 2025 – Jul 2025
Summer Research Intern
-
Established a 3D differential-response screening platform using A549 lung-cancer and BEAS-2B nonmalignant bronchial epithelial spheroids to compare therapeutic responses across tumor and healthy-cell models.
-
Conducted 12+ dose-response experiments with mushroom-derived therapeutic candidates and quantified treatment effects using MTT, ROS, and immunohistochemistry assays to assess viability, oxidative stress, and tumor selectivity.
Aurigene Oncology Pvt Ltd | Bangalore, India Oct 2024 – Jan 2025
Cell and Gene Therapy R&D Intern
-
Performed five complete Rapid CAR-T manufacturing runs, spanning T-cell isolation and activation, lentiviral transduction, and ex vivo expansion.
-
Ran four multicolor flow-cytometry panels and tumor-cell co-culture assays to evaluate CAR expression, T-cell activation, and cancer-cell killing.
HealthCare Global Hospitals (HCG) | Bangalore, India Jun 2024 – Dec 2024
Clinical Research Intern, Medical Oncology
-
Analyzed 50+ patient charts to study how comorbid diabetes affects treatment outcomes in cancer patients. Led the data analysis and contributed to the manuscript, which was published as first author in Frontiers in Oncology (2025)
-
Co-authored a second clinical study tracking how different chemotherapy regimens induce hypertension over the course of treatment. Curated patient data, analyzed blood pressure trends across timelines, and helped contextualize the cardiotoxicity mechanisms. Currently under review at Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine
Brains Super Speciality Hospital | Bangalore, India Nov 2023 – Dec 2024
Data Analysis Intern
-
Built a machine learning prediction model using UPDRS clinical scores and CSF biomarker data to forecast how Parkinson's disease progresses in individual patients and sort them into risk categories for earlier clinical decision-making
-
Ran a prospective study on diabetic neuropathy, correlating metabolic parameters and neurological assessments to find early warning signs of nerve damage before symptoms become irreversible
CoE in Computational Genomics | RV College of Engineering Dec 2022 – May 2023
Bioinformatics Intern
-
Built an end-to-end cancer genomics workflow by processing 20 colorectal-cancer exomes through variant calling and annotation and training supervised machine-learning models on mutation patterns.
-
Prioritized CD82 and ANO1 as potential diagnostic candidates and developed the work into an award-winning cancer decision-support project presented at AIML-BIO
Anthem Biosciences Pvt Ltd | Bangalore, India Nov 2022 – Dec 2022
Industry Intern
-
Gained end-to-end exposure to commercial biopharmaceutical manufacturing, following upstream fermentation and downstream purification workflows for products including serratiopeptidase and MK-7.
-
Rotated through QA/QC and microbiology operations, observing analytical platforms including HPLC and GC-MS and learning how in-process testing, documentation, quality control, and GMP practices support biomanufacturing.
SKILLS
CELL BIOLOGY & TISSUE ENGINEERING
Mammalian Cell Culture • BSL-2 Sterile Technique • Primary Human PBMC Isolation • T-Cell Isolation, Activation & Expansion • B Cell Culture • CAR-T Workflows • hiPSC-Derived Cardiomyocyte Culture • Engineered Heart Tissues (EHT) • Primary Cardiomyocyte Co-Culture • 3D Tumor Spheroid Models • Drug Screening Assays • Flow Cytometry • Multicolor Panel Design • Immunophenotyping • Immunostaining • Imaging-Based Quantitative Analysis • Assay Development & Optimization
MOLECULAR TECHNIQUES & ANIMAL MODELS
PCR / RT-qPCR • Western Blot • ELISA • DNA/RNA/Protein Extraction • Genotyping • Gel Electrophoresis • IHC • Cell Viability Assays (MTT) • Cytotoxicity Assays • Cell Counting • Bright-field & Fluorescence Microscopy • Confocal Imaging • Mouse Colony Management & Breeding • Mouse Perfusion • Tissue Dissection & Processing • IACUC-Compliant Animal Protocols
COMPUTATIONAL BIOLOGY & BIOINFORMATICS
R • Python • Seurat • SingleR • scType • scRNA-seq Analysis • CITE-seq Analysis • Multi-Omic Data (RNA, ADT, HTO) • DESeq2 • MAST • Differential Expression Analysis • Pathway Enrichment • Cell-Type Annotation • NGS Pipelines (FastQC, BWA, GATK) • Variant Annotation (snpEff, SIFT, PolyPhen) • Machine Learning (Random Forest, SVM, Logistic Regression) • Statistical Analysis • Data Visualization
PROJECTS
In Silico Design of Neoantigen mRNA Vaccines Delivered via Lipid Nanoparticles for Glioblastoma (Ongoing)
mRNA vaccines targeting tumor-specific neoantigens, leveraging lipid nanoparticles for efficient delivery and enhanced immune response in cancer therapy.
Optimizing CAR T Cell Therapy for Glioblastoma
Explored strategies to overcome antigen heterogeneity and tumor microenvironment challenges, focusing on improving target selection and advancing personalized immunotherapy.
In Silico Computational Analysis of Colorectal Cancer Exome Datasets
Analyzed 20 cancer exome datasets to identify molecular markers for early detection, leading to the discovery of CD82 and ANO1 as promising candidates.
Predicting Parkinson’s Disease Progression Using Machine Learning and CSF Biomarkers (Ongoing)
Employed machine learning to analyze CSF biomarkers and disease severity, identifying potential markers to support personalized treatment plans for Parkinson’s disease.
Report
Predicting Diabetic Neuropathy In High Risk Populations
Conducting a prospective study on diabetic neuropathy to analyze key risk factors, enabling early intervention and improved patient outcomes
Study Proposal
Preclinical Assessment of a Combination Drug for Parkinson’s Disease
Investigated the efficacy of an L-DOPA and Ceftriaxone combination in mouse models, optimizing interactions to enhance anti-aggregation activity for Parkinson’s treatment.
Report
PUBLICATIONS
Co-morbid diabetes mellitus in cancer patients undergoing treatment: a case series and perspective. Frontiers in Oncology, 15, Article 1615491 (2025). View Paper
In Silico Target Tracking: Molecular docking and pharmacokinetic studies of naturally occurring flavonoid glycosides and their activity against COVID-19 viral proteins. IEEE Xplore (2025). View Paper
Bridging the Gap: Towards Effective CAR T-Cell Therapy for Glioblastoma. Review article (2025). View Paper
Co-morbid hypertension in cancer patients undergoing treatment: a perspective. Indian Journal of Medical and Paediatric Oncology (IJMPO), revised manuscript resubmitted - Awaiting Review (2026).
RESEARCH ENGAGEMENTS AND CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS
Presented a paper on ”In Silico Target Tracking: Molecular docking and pharmacokinetic studies of naturally occurring flavonoid glycosides and their activity against COVID-19 viral proteins.” at the 8th International Conference on Computational Systems and Information Technology for Sustainable Solutions 2024 organised by IEEE. Certificate
Poster Presentation of a paper titled ”Targeting the Unreachable: Revolutionizing CAR T Cell Therapy for Glioblastoma by Conquering Tumor Heterogeneity, Target Selection and Defying the Tumor Microenvironment” at Bengaluru Tech Summit (2023) Issued by Government Of Karnataka. Certificate
Presented a paper on ”Machine Learning-Powered Prediction of Parkinson’s Disease Trajectory” at the 6th Annual Convention of International Society Of Gene and Cell Therapy (2024).
.jpeg)
Presented a paper on ”Preclinical Assessment of a combination drug consisting of L-Dopa and Ceftriaxone in Mouse Models Simulating Parkinson’s Disease” at Shristi State Level Engineering Students Project Exhibition Competition (2022).
Best Paper Presentation Award for ”Protocol for Developing a Decision Support System(DSS) using Mutation patterns in individual cancers with application of AI and ML Technologies” at the International Conference on AIML-BIO organized by the Bangalore Bioinnovation Centre (2022).
COURSES AND CERTIFICATIONS
CO CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
Organized two-week drama workshops for underprivileged school children to foster creativity and confidence.
As a part of of Genesis, RVCE’s Biotechnology Club, led events like ISGCT-AIMILBIO’24, Science and Power ’23, and organized the department fest Helix.
Volunteered with Youth for Seva at government schools in conducting menstrual health awareness sessions for adolescent girls.
.jpeg)
Taught government high school students to build a dummy simulation of dialysis through the Agastya Foundation, inspiring hands-on learning in biomedical concepts.
