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.
Co-Chairs
Snehadri Sinha
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
Since 2022
Maksim recently completed his PhD in the Doctoral Programme in Biomedicine, where his research focused on engineering advanced optogenetic tools controlled by near-infrared light. The high transparency of mammalian tissue in this spectral range makes these tools especially valuable for in vivo applications and biomedical research. He holds an MSc degree in Biotechnology and has several years of professional experience in industrial R&D, working on recombinant antibodies, antibody fragments, and cytokine-based technologies for diagnostic and therapeutic applications.
Maksim joined the Biotech Club to support its mission of bridging academia and industry. He enjoys contributing to initiatives that connect researchers with biotech professionals and foster collaboration within the biotechnology community.
Mohammad Ghanem
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.
Ashwini Kedari
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.
Olesya Shpironok
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.
Swethaa Natraj Gayathri
Since 2025
Swethaa is a researcher at the Folkhälsan Research Center in Biomedicum. Her PhD in the Biomedicine programme focuses on human skeletal muscle research. She is interested in applying multi-omics techniques to explore the molecular effects of pathogenic variants in the titin (TTN) gene. As a motivated and enthusiastic researcher in human clinical genetics, she aims to specialize in bioinformatics and wet lab techniques to tackle her research questions. She believes that curiosity is the spark, but knowledge is the fire. Through the Biotech Club, she aims to gain deeper insights into the biotech industry, collaborate with innovative professionals, and bridge the gap between research and real-world impact.
Silvana Bodington Celma
Since 2025
Silvana is a doctoral researcher in the Developmental Neurogenetics group at the University of Helsinki, where she is part of the Brain and Mind doctoral programme. Her research explores the gene regulatory cascades that shape neuronal identities during neurodevelopment, with a particular focus on brainstem neurons and their diverse subtypes. She earned her master’s degree in Genetics and Molecular Biosciences from the University of Helsinki and completed her bachelor’s in Biochemistry at the University of Barcelona. Passionate about connecting academia with industry, she is also deeply interested in science communication and dissemination. Outside of her research, she enjoys spending time with friends, organizing social activities, practicing karate, and staying active at the gym.
Snigdha Sarthak
Since 2026
Snigdha is an iCANDOC researcher at the University of Helsinki, working at the intersection of glioblastoma brain tumor research and neurodevelopment. With a strong background in biotechnology research that began as early as high school, she is passionate about using EdTech and Biotech startups to tackle complex biological problems and innovate future therapeutics and biotech strategies.
Beyond the lab, Snigdha is deeply interested in science communication and founded BioBuddy, a platform that makes science more accessible through relatable pop culture references. In her free time, she enjoys playing instruments, singing, and graphic designing ·Íœ·
Zeynep Iloglu
Since 2026
Zeynep is a doctoral researcher in the Namba group at the University of Helsinki, where her PhD project focuses on understanding glioblastoma. She obtained her B.Sc. in Molecular Biology and Genetics from Middle East Technical University and completed her M.Sc. in Neuroscience at the University of Helsinki. She joined the Biotech Club to learn more about how the biotech sector operates, gain insight into career paths beyond academia, and connect with people working at the interface of science, business, and innovation.
Peyton Staab
Since 2026
Peyton is an iCANDOC pilot researcher at the University of Helsinki in the CanPro unit. Her work focuses on the mechanisms of KSHV mediated reprogramming of lymphatic endothelial cells towards Kaposi Sarcoma development. She earned her master's degree in Translational Medicine (TRANSMED) at the University of Helsinki and her bachelor's degree at Purdue University.
Through the BioTech club, she hopes to bridge the gap between academia and industry and help others pursue an interest in the biotech field.
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Outside of work, Peyton enjoys reading, hiking through Finland, going to the gym, and traveling.
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
Bertha Bosch
​Nerea Valdebenito Alamar
Noemí Gutiérrez Valdés
Dollwin Matharu
​Rashmi Shrestha
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