Aravind Krishnan

Starting out at Penn, it was daunting to even know where to begin in terms of finding a research opportunity. Fortunately, thanks to CURF and upperclassmen mentors, I was able to find some incredible opportunities that I’m still continuing. I am most passionate about bridging the gap between the bench and the bedside, working to translate basic research into innovations that have real-world impact. I am currently a research assistant in the Greenberg Lab investigating the mechanisms behind ALT, or alternative lengthening of telomeres. My research aims to characterize the proteins involved in this process with the ultimate aim of designing inhibitors for cancers that have developed resistance to traditional chemotherapies like telomerase inhibitors. As an RPA, I hope to use my past experiences in order to provide the same great mentorship I received, in order to guide the next wave of young researchers on campus. Feel free to reach out with any questions about research, entrepreneurship, summer internships, or extracurriculars at Penn!

• Undergraduate Researcher, Greenberg Lab (Perelman School of Medicine)
  • Investigating the role of the BLM helicase in allowing cancer cells to achieve cellular immortality via Alternative Lengthening of Telomeres (ALT), independent of the canonical telomerase-mediated pathway, and the role of BLM in genome-wide lagging strand synthesis
• Research Project Intern, Aravind Eye Hospital (Madurai, India)
  • Analyzing the reasons behind low treatment efficacy and adherence to self-treatment instructions for pediatric patients with amblyopia and developing a more effective treatment paradigm and follow-up protocol for patients in under-resourced settings throughout South India
• CASI (Center for the Advanced Study of India) India Summer Internship Program Winner
• Venture Lab Startup Challenge Perlman Grand Prize, Robert S. Blank New Venture Collaboration Award, and Frederick H. Gloeckner Undergraduate Award Winner
  • Co-Founder & CEO of ToxiSense, genetically engineering more sustainable and cost-effective biosensors for bacterial endotoxin contamination in medical products and clinical settings 
• Mack Institute Y-Prize Finalist
• CURF Faculty Mentoring Undergraduate Research Grant Winner
• CURF Louis H Castor, M.D., C’48 Undergraduate Research Grant Winner
• Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics (ITMAT) Translational Research Immersion Program (TRIP) Recipient