Venkat Sankar
About Venkat Sankar
Venkat Sankar is an Undergraduate Research Fellow at the Buenrostro Lab, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, where he has worked since 2017. He specializes in characterizing transcription factor activity pathways in pulmonary adenocarcinoma and has a background in computer science and molecular biology from MIT.
Work at Broad Institute
Venkat Sankar has been serving as an Undergraduate Research Fellow in the Buenrostro Lab at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard since 2017. In this role, he has focused on characterizing transcription factor activity pathways related to the development of pulmonary adenocarcinoma. His work contributes to understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying cancer, which is essential for developing targeted therapies.
Education and Expertise
Venkat Sankar studied at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he earned a Bachelor of Science (BS) and a Master of Engineering (MEng) in Computer Science and Molecular Biology from 2017 to 2021. His educational background equips him with a strong foundation in both computational techniques and biological sciences, enabling him to engage in interdisciplinary research.
Background in Research Internships
Prior to his current position, Venkat Sankar gained valuable experience through research internships. He worked at Stanford University in the Wernig Lab from 2014 to 2016, where he developed novel computational techniques for analyzing genomic and epigenomic data. He also interned at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in the Beck Lab from 2016 to 2017, where he discovered prognostic biomarkers associated with patient survival using DNA methylation data.
Academic Preparation at The Harker School
Venkat Sankar completed his secondary education at The Harker School from 2013 to 2017. This institution provided a rigorous academic environment that prepared him for his future studies in computer science and molecular biology at MIT. His time at The Harker School laid the groundwork for his research interests and academic pursuits.
Collaboration with Tyler Jacks Lab
During his research at the Broad Institute, Venkat Sankar assisted in CRISPR/Cas9 knockout screens to validate computational findings. This collaboration with the Tyler Jacks Lab at MIT highlights his involvement in cutting-edge research methodologies aimed at advancing the understanding of genetic functions and their implications in cancer biology.