ANUJAN RAMESH
PhD Candidate at UMass Amherst
Visionary Biomedical engineer who strives to advance human health by bridging the gap between Engineering, Medicine, and global healthcare
About
I’m a PhD candidate in the Immunoengineering Research Lab advised by Dr. Ashish Kulkarni. I’m interested primarily in the field of immuno-engineering, and my research briefly focuses on designing novel biomaterials that can modulate the body’s immune responses to combat disease. Apart from research, I enjoy hiking, soccer and playing the Violin.
Research Interests
Identifying immune related targets
Identifying druggable targets that are involved in the exacerbation of diseases due to immune cell dysregulation
Engineering nanoparticle platforms
Engineering supramolecular tunable nanoparticle systems that can act as drug carriers to resolve diseases associated with the immune system
Nano Theranostics
Developing novel nanoprobes that can deliver therapeutics and diagnostics in real time to monitor disease progression and subsequent therapeutic efficacy
Profile
EDUCATION
Thesis: “Engineering tools and techniques to repolarize macrophage response and monitor them in real time”
Advisor: Ashish Kulkarni
Thesis: “Stimuli-responsive Nano-probes monitor real time immune efficacy of T cells”
Advisor: Ashish Kulkarni
EXPERIENCE
Advisors: Dr. Ashish Kulkarni
Work: Co-founded a startup venture that aims at commercializing breast and ovarian cancer diagnostics. Won $1500 Fund and 1st prize in the Business Plan Competition in the Society for Biomaterials Conferene in April 2022
Advisor: Dr. Ashish Kulkarni
Projects:
• Synthesized Near infra-red probes that capable of detecting Arginase and Nitric oxide in real time
• Identified metabolic pathways involved in macrophage immune response and designed nanoparticle
systems that can metabolically reprogram Tumor Associated macrophages by inhibiting the TCA
cycle.
• Designed nanoparticles containing a rational combination of immune checkpoint inhibitor and small
molecule inhibitor (PDL1, BLZ945) studied its efficacy on melanoma mouse models
• Designed, synthesized, and validated the efficacy of supramolecular combination of TLR7/8 agonist
and SHP1/2 inhibitors in improving macrophage repolarization
• Designed nitric oxide sensitive nanoprobes capable of real time imaging of macrophage
immunotherapy
• Increased phagocytic activity of Tumor Associated Macrophages with the help of a Bi-Functional
Nano Engager that blocks the CD47 – SIRP alpha axis simultaneously
• Designed and synthesized dual drug loaded nanoparticles that target Tumor Associated
Advisor: Dr. Ashish Kulkarni
Projects:
• Synthesized supramolecular therapeutics that reducate Tumor associated Macrophages by
synergistic kinase inhibition of the MAPK and CSF1R pathways
• Designed self-assembled supramolecule that amplifies macrophage immune responses against
aggressive cancer
• Adoptive immune cell therapy involving designing Stimuli Responsive Nanoprobes tethered to T cells
for application in the field of immune-theranostics
• Designed, synthesized, and optimized functionally orthogonal-nanoparticles for increasing T cell – cancer cell interaction
• Synthesized Chimeric Supramolecules loaded with PI3K and MAPK inhibitors and studies the
simultaneous inhibition of kinase signaling pathways in aggressive cancer models
Advisors: Dr. Ashish Kulkarni, Dr. Shiladitya Sengupta
Project: Designed Stimuli-responsive Nano-probes monitor real time immune efficacy of T cells.
Advisor: Dr. Anbazhagan Veerapan
Projects:
• Synthesized metallic Nanoparticles and testing out their application as potential heavy metal
biosensors
• Synthesized Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles and testing out its potential drug delivery applications
Advisor: Dr. Madhan Raja
Project:
• Synthesized nanovesicles used in subdermal delivery of therapeutic Phyto molecules obtained from
green tea extract
