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Team

The members of the BiotechClub board are current or former doctoral candidates from the University of Helsinki. They all share a common interest for the scientific environment in and outside of their institute and the curiosity to learn more by actively pursuing their goals and interests.

Snehadri
Max
Mohammad
Nerea
Berta

Co-Chairs

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Snehadri Sinha

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Since 2020

Snehadri is doing his PhD in the field of oral sciences. His project is on the osteosarcoma microenvironment with a focus on extracellular vesicles and developing 3D models of osteosarcoma for drug testing. He holds a MSc degree in Molecular Biosciences and has a background in biochemistry. He is enthusiastic about the networking opportunities that BiotechClub facilitates between business and academia.

 

Maksim Karasev

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Since 2022

Maksim is a doctoral researcher at the Doctoral Programme in Biomedicine where he engineers advanced optogenetic tools controlled by near-infrared light. The high transparency of mammalian tissue in this spectral range makes these tools particularly valuable for in vivo applications. He holds a MSc degree in Biotechnology and has several years of professional work experience in the industry, where he developed potential therapeutics based on recombinant antibodies, antibody fragments, and cytokines. In spare time, he studies machine learning and data science.

Maksim joined the Biotech Club to support its mission to bridge the gap between academia and industry. He enjoys networking with like-minded peers and biotech industry professionals.

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Berta Bosch

Since 2022

​Berta Bosch is a doctoral researcher in Human Microbiome (HUMI) group at the Faculty of Medicine. Her work is based on “New formulations of microbiome-based therapies”. She graduated from her master’s in Pharmacy at the University of Barcelona, Spain. The main aims of her PhD work are to develop protocols for anaerobic preparation of fecal material, to study its microbiological stability, and the formulation of intestinal bacteria pure strains, which would facilitate their use as orally next-generation probiotics. When she is not working in her project, you will find her spending time with friends, practicing yoga, traveling, or reading. She believes that stablishing a good solid network in between students and enterprises will facilitate the communication and enhance the future opportunities of those who want to become part of that field.

Dollwin Matharu

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Since 2022

Dollwin is a PhD Researcher at the Human Microbiome Research Unit (HUMI), and she is enrolled in the Doctoral Program in Biomedicine (DPBM), Faculty of Medicine. She holds a MSc degree in Biotechnology from University of Pune. For her doctoral dissertation she is investigating the interactions between breastmilk sugars, infant gut microbiota and health outcomes. Her hobbies include reading, dancing, theater, practicing yoga and meditation. Dollwin’s aspirations with the BiotechClub include networking with like minded professionals, brainstorming creative ideas and participating in events that help bridge the industry-academia gap. She is also passionate about science communication and outreach activities.

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Mohammad Ghanem

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Since 2022

Mohammad is a PhD researcher in the Integrative Life Sciences Doctoral Program at the University of Helsinki. In his PhD project, Mohammad is studying the structural basis of protein aggregation formed by mutant Huntingtin proteins, the leading cause of Huntington's Disease. Mohammad is a pharmacist at heart, he also has a second bachelor’s degree in Law. He studied his first master’s degree in Laboratory Diagnosis in his home country before moving to Italy where he completed his second master’s degree in Pharmaceutical Biotechnology from the University of Milan. Mohammad is a goal-oriented and highly motivated young researcher, who aspires to make his knowledge and expertise beneficial in the field of developing new therapeutics. In his free time, he enjoys watching football, going to the gym, and watching documentaries.

Nerea Valdebenito Alamar

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Since 2022

Nerea is a doctoral researcher at the University of Helsinki since 2021 in the Doctoral Programme in Plant Sciences. Her research focuses on how calcium signals are transduced in response to environmental stresses in the plant model species Arabidopsis thaliana. She holds a B.Sc. in Biotechnology from Universitat de València. Her enthusiasm for plant biotechnology took her to Helsinki to complete the M.Sc. in Agricultural Sciences.

As a biotechnologist she believes in the transfer of knowledge from academia to industry. Joining the Biotech Club she hopes to establish new links with biotech companies and to have a more active role in the transfer of knowledge from university research to non-academic institutions.

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Rashmi Shrestha

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Since 2022

Rashmi Shrestha is doing her PhD at University of Helsinki in the field of environmental microbiology and microbial ecology. Her research is focused on studying impacts of plant diversity on microbial community and activity related to carbon sequestration in agricultural soil. She completed her Master’s degree in microbiology from University of Helsinki. She joined Biotech Club because she is interested to know about opportunities outside academia and wants to help in creating links between research and industry. She enjoys yoga, hiking and spending time with her friends and family.

Olesya Shpironok

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Since 2023

Olesya, a doctoral researcher in the Doctoral Programme in Drug Research, is currently focused on investigating the molecular mechanisms of action of Cerebral Dopamine Neurotrophic factor (CDNF). CDNF successfully passed phase I-II clinical trials for Parkinson's disease treatment, but its exact mechanism of action remains uncertain.

With an MSc degree in Biotechnology and extensive experience in the pharmaceutical industry, Olesya has worked with pharmacopeial compendia to establish appropriate methods for drug testing.

Driven by her passion for bridging the gap between academia and industry, Olesya joined the Biotech Club. She finds great satisfaction in connecting with fellow enthusiasts who share her interests and interacting with professionals in the biotech sector.

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Ashwini Kedari

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Since 2023

Ashwini is a doctoral researcher at the University of Helsinki where she works on the structural architecture of virus-host interactions by using cryo-EM and X-ray crystallography. Her work also involves antibody engineering which can be used as scaffolds for structural characterization. She obtained her MSc. Protein Science and Biotechnology from the University of Oulu. Ashwini joined the Biotech Club with the vision of applying laboratory benchwork to real-life necessities. She spends her free time by doing gardening, travelling, creating art and DIY projects.

Noemí Gutiérrez Valdés

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Since 2023

Noemí is a PhD researcher in Plant Sciences at the University of Helsinki. Her research focuses on plant-made anti-HIV molecules, lysosomal disease enzymes, and COVID-19 diagnostic reagents. She conducted her research at the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland for the PharmaFactory project (a Horizon 2020 project). She has collaborated with European SMEs, research institutes, and universities from Spain, Italy, France, and the UK. Her education includes a B.Sc. Biotechnology from ITESM in Mexico and a M.Sc. Plant Biotechnology from Wageningen University in the Netherlands. Noemí strongly believes in the synergy between academia and industry and actively promotes bridging the gap between the two. In her free time, she enjoys running, cooking, and mentoring young women in STEM fields.

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Founders

Anna Gran

Current position: Business development manager at Novo Nordisk

 

Vytas Raulinaitis

Current position: doctoral student, University of Helsinki

 

Zhao Zeng

Current position:  Supercell, Computer Games

ALUMNI

Karim Uddin

Zhijia Wang
Elina Multamäki
Ying-Chieh Wu

Johanna Anttila

Jurgita Paukstyte

Darshan Kumar

Liliia Andriichuk

Larisa Viazmina

Mridul Johari

Elina Pietilä

Erika Gucciardo

Riikka Karjalainen

Gergana Gateva

Maria Sanz Navarro

Mona Christensen

Anastasiya Chernenko

Denis Dermadi Bebek

Heini Hakala

Sawan Kumar Jha

Hongxin Chen

Shentong Fang

Minttu Kansikas

Emmi Joensuu

Vytas Raulinaitis

Prasanna Sakha

Svetlana Semenov

Sandra Söderholm

Mari Teesalu

Isabel Weinheimer

Zhao Zeng

Ashwini
Dollwin
Rashmi
Founders
Alumni
Noemi
Olesya
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