Marissa Sumathipala
About Marissa Sumathipala
Marissa Sumathipala is a Mc Carroll Lab Researcher with extensive experience in neuroscience and data science. She currently serves as Chair of the Science Communications Committee at the iGEM Foundation and has held various research and teaching roles at prestigious institutions including Harvard University and the Broad Institute.
Work at Broad Institute
Marissa Sumathipala has been a McCarroll Lab Researcher at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard since 2018. In this role, she is involved in research within the Department of Genetics. Her work contributes to advancing understanding in genetics and related fields.
Current Roles and Responsibilities
In addition to her position at the Broad Institute, Sumathipala serves as Chair of the Science Communications Committee at the iGEM Foundation since 2019. She is also a Zitnik Lab Researcher at the Harvard Data Science Initiative and a Collegiate Ambassador for U.S. Figure Skating, both roles she has held since 2020. Furthermore, she is the Editor-In-Chief of Brevia at the Harvard College Undergraduate Research Association.
Previous Experience in Research and Education
Sumathipala has held various research and teaching positions. She worked as a Teaching Fellow for Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry at Harvard University from 2020 to 2021. Additionally, she was a Clinical Research Assistant at Brigham and Women's Hospital from 2020 to 2021 and a researcher in the Sharma Lab at Harvard Medical School from 2017 to 2020.
Educational Background
Sumathipala studied at Harvard University from 2018 to 2022, focusing on Computational Science and Neuroscience. Prior to that, she graduated as Valedictorian from Broad Run High School, achieving a GPA of 4.78 on a 4.0 scale.
Research Contributions and Presentations
Sumathipala has presented her research findings on the neuronal basis for landing responses in Drosophila at two conferences. Her research utilizes optogenetics to uncover neuronal mechanisms, showcasing her contributions to the field of neuroscience.