Meet The Team

I spent my childhood in Oman, then earned my BS (double major) from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and my PhD from Cornell University in NYC. I completed postdoctoral training at Harvard Medical School, and started the Nayar laboratory at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in 2021. I'm passionate about making an impact on the lives of cancer patients, and mentoring the next generation of researchers.

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In my non-science life, I'm a professionally-trained Indian classical dancer, and adore music, travel, food, and the arts. I'm also (unfortunately?) a political junkie, and a sucker for rhetorical debates over beers.

I graduated from UNC Charlotte with a BA degree in Biology and a minor in Spanish. I am an aspiring medical student with a strong passion for research. My background in research began with studying muscle biology and physiology during my undergraduate career, but I have since developed an interest in cancer biology and epidemiology. I am originally from Baltimore, and love being back in my home city, working with JHU. I enjoy playing tennis, reading, trying new coffee shops, and playing with my dog!

Hello! I'm an ScM student in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. I earned my Bachelor of Pharmacy degree from BITS Pilani. I've been passionate about cancer research since undergrad, and worked at a computational cancer systems biology lab for a year after graduating. My research interests lie in uncovering transcriptional regulatory networks implicated in cancer progression.

Outside of lab, I enjoy painting, baking and hiking. I'm also a big rock and indie music buff - don't be surprised if there's always a Ticketmaster tab open on my laptop!

Hi! I'm a VTSI-funded PREP scholar, and I hope to eventually get my PhD in Genetics/Cancer Biology. I earned my BS in Biology with a concentration in Microbiology from San Jose State University. In my previous research, I was part of the Skovran lab that researched bacteria with the ability to recycle lanthanides from electronic waste. I also worked in industry on NGS research involving oncology applications after my undergrad.  

I'm originally from California (Bay Area/Central Valley) so I've also had the opportunity to dabble in programming, and I enjoy learning more about bioinformatics. Other ways I love spending my time is being outdoors, exploring new hobbies, and learning new tidbits of information.

Hi, I’m a Postdoctoral researcher at the Nayar lab. I’m originally from India and my ethnicity is a bit chaotic as my parents are from two very different states in the country and I’ve grown up moving through an even wider array of locales.

I moved to New York, to pursue my Ph.D. at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, where I learnt a lot about how our cells are brilliant at figuring out how much to grow so we stay healthy. After that adventure, I then joined the Yale School of Medicine to dip my toe into core Biology, to eventually migrate into translational, application-based research. Now, at the Nayar Lab, I look forward to making contributions towards ameliorating endocrine therapeutic resistances in cancer.

Outside the lab, I have a husband and two fur-babies, a kitty and a pup (major cuddlers) and I love mythology, horror, true-crime, fantasy and science fiction almost as much as science (you can find me passaging cells at the cell-culture hood while I listen to podcasts about mythical Greek creatures (like gorgons and centaurs)  and real-life monsters (i.e, Bundy and Gacy). I love animals, music, traveling, reading, Legos, and experimenting in the kitchen! P.s- I’m a die-hard Potterhead!

An MS student at Johns Hopkins University, I specialize in Biotechnology with a concentration in Biodefense. My research interests cover areas of cancer therapeutics, biodefense strategies, and biological and chemical threat assessments. With a BA in Integrative Physiology from the University of Colorado at Boulder and management consulting experience, covering the Middle East, Africa, and European markets, I have gained great exposure working in various industries, including tech, government, healthcare, finance, energy, and many more.

Born and raised in Dubai, the UAE, I enjoyed growing up in a vibrant, multicultural environment. Outside of academia, I am a professionally trained musician and singer, a competitive gamer, avid documentary viewer,  and a lover of all things humorous. 
 

Hello! I’m an undergraduate at Johns Hopkins University majoring in Molecular and Cellular Biology and Public Health volunteering at the Nayar Lab. I’m passionate about breast cancer, where I previously investigated CDK4/6is and cancer resistance over the summer. Outside of the lab, I am a member of the Hopkins Women’s fencing team and I teach in Special Art, a program offering art classes to kids with special needs. In my free time, I enjoy reading and you can always find me looking for my next book on Goodreads. 

I'm an MHS student in the Biochemistry and Molecular Biology department, preparing to transition to the ScM program with plans to attend medical school. As a pre-med at Virginia Commonwealth University, I unknowingly began my journey into cancer research. That experience not only introduced me to the field but also set me on the path to Hopkins, where I've been able to explore cancer biology in greater depth while considering its broader clinical implications. Originally from New York City, I enjoy discovering new spots in Baltimore — especially its food scene and the endless coffee shops this city has to offer.