Shreejha Chandrasekar
Chennai,Tamil Nadu
Summary
Master's-level scientist with a 3-year specialized M.S. In biotechnology and bioinformatics, and 2.5 years of combined industry and prestigious research experience in translational cell and gene therapy platforms (CAR T and lentiviral systems). Academic foundation includes specialization in stem cell technology and laboratory management. Possesses deep research expertise, recognized as a prestigious CIRM Research Scholar (California Institute for Regenerative Medicine), for work optimizing lentiviral vector delivery to CD34+ HSPCs. Proven proficiency in advanced analytical and computational techniques, critical for regenerative medicine. Seeking to leverage a strong research track record and technical expertise to advance discovery-driven research in stem cell-based disease modeling and translational therapies.
Overview
1
1
year of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Quality Expert
A2Biotherapeutics
09.2024 - 02.2025
- Operated at the critical intersection of Quality Control (QC) and Analytical Compliance within the CAR T Cell Therapy platform, ensuring the integrity of critical analytical data used for product release.
- Executed specialized Cell-Based Assays (e.g., Multi-color Flow Cytometry on BD FACS Canto II) and molecular assays (e.g., ddPCR for Vector Copy Number/VCN) to determine critical quality attributes for cell therapy release.
- Actively managed the full lifecycle of Quality Events (OOS/OOT, Deviations, CAPA) using MasterControl QMS and Benchling (LIMS/ELN), ensuring regulatory readiness for a clinical-stage cell therapy product.
- Authored and edited Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to ensure cGMP/GLP documentation standards across all analytical workflows, supporting regulatory submissions.
- Focused on CAR T Cell Therapy Analytical Compliance
CIRM Research Scholar
CSL Behring
09.2023 - 08.2024
- Led a year-long, independent translational research project as a CIRM Research Scholar (California Institute for Regenerative Medicine), focused on enhancing Lentiviral (LV) Transduction efficiency in CD34+ Hematopoietic Stem and Progenitor Cells (HSPCs), a critical step for ex vivo Gene Therapy delivery.
- Designed and executed systematic time-course drug testing studies and analytical comparisons to identify novel chemical modulators capable of overcoming biological inhibitors (e.g., IFITM protein) of viral entry, directly supporting discovery-driven research.
- Achieved Cell Culture Mastery by independently managing multiple critical mammalian cell lines (including HEK 293T, Jurkat, U937) with zero contamination, supporting complex long-term experiments.
- Utilized advanced analytical equipment, including the Cytek Aurora full-spectrum flow cytometer and Sony MA900 cell sorter, for high-complexity immunophenotyping and cell characterization supporting gene delivery optimization.
- CIRM Research Scholar (California Institute for Regenerative Medicine)
Education
Master of Science - Biotechnology and Bioinformatics
California State University Channel Islands
08-2025
B.Tech/B.E. - Biotechnology
Anna University
04-2015
Skills
- Lentiviral gene therapy
- Car T cell therapy
- HiPSC culture and cryopreservation
- Multi-color flow cytometry
- ELISA
- Laboratory management
- Translational therapies
- HiPSC derivation and characterization
- DdPCR/Sequencing
- GLP/cGMP Documentation
- Research Analysis
- Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs)
- Infectious Titer Assays (Lenti Viral)
- SOP & QMS Management
- Product Life Cycle Management
- Neural Stem Cells (NSCs)
- Image-Based Microscopy
- Bioinformatics/Data Analysis
- Cell-Based Assay Dev
- Stem Cell Engineering
- Immunophenotyping
- ALCOA Data Integrity
- Design of experiments
- Project management
Certification
Advanced Stem Cells Techniques Workshop, Pathways to Stem Cells
Hands-on training included hiPSC culture, cryopreservation, and characterization.
Hands-on training included hiPSC culture, cryopreservation, and characterization.
Projects
Lentiviral Vector Optimization via Infectious Titer Assays:
Independently designed and executed functional infectious titration assays on surrogate cell lines, generating consistently reproducible results to establish optimal vector dosage (MOI) for gene delivery experiments.
Full-Spectrum Immunophenotyping Assay: Utilized Cytek Aurora and Spectro Flo/FlowJo to accurately quantify and characterize the target therapeutic population, CD34+ Hematopoietic Stem and Progenitor Cells (HSPCs), required for gene therapy modification.
IFITM Protein Expression vs. Transduction Efficiency Correlation:
Designed intracellular staining and analytical protocols to establish a direct biological correlation between the expression of a viral entry inhibitor (IFITM) and final Lentiviral Transduction success.
Chemical Modulator Screen for Gene Delivery Enhancement:
Executed systematic drug testing studies across multiple cell lines, using NucleoCounter, multi-well microscopy, and Flow Cytometry to confirm impact on IFITM expression and final transduction yield.
Documentation Efficiency & BMRAM Implementation:
Led a critical quality initiative to enhance Good Documentation Practices (GDP) by centralizing cleaning records in BMRAM, improving departmental documentation efficiency for cGMP/GLP audits.
Timeline
Quality Expert
A2Biotherapeutics
09.2024 - 02.2025
CIRM Research Scholar
CSL Behring
09.2023 - 08.2024
Master of Science - Biotechnology and Bioinformatics
California State University Channel Islands
B.Tech/B.E. - Biotechnology
Anna University