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Program: Biological and Biomedical Sciences |
Rhea grew up in India and Switzerland, and graduated with honors from University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a Bachelor of Science in Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology and a minor in Biomedical Research. She began her research career at UCLA in Steve Jacobsen’s Lab studying DNAJ1, a novel activator protein involved in non-canonical methylation-dependent gene expression. Over time, her research interests evolved and she specifically became attracted to investigating epigenetic and signaling mechanisms that drive cancer, leading to discovery of therapeutic vulnerabilities. She is now a PhD candidate in the Biological and Biomedical Sciences (BBS) program at Harvard, and her research involves co-targeting oncogenic and epigenetic pathways in castration-resistant prostate cancer in Karen Cichowski’s Lab. Outside of lab, she loves dancing, reading, watching television and movies, and spending time with friends and family.
Rhea became more involved in LCBC when she received the Landry Cancer Biology Research Fellowship 2022. She began attending LCBC events and was grateful for the opportunity to connect with the cancer research community at Harvard Medical School. She volunteered to be part of the Student Steering Committee and help organize LCBC events to give back and build a stronger sense of community for cancer researchers.