Hi! I'm Rachana. I graduated with a Bachelors degree in Life Sciences from University of Mumbai, India, a Masters degree in Immunology from King's College, London, England, and a PhD in Microbiology and Immunology from New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY. My thesis work focused on driver mutations in cancer and how they are linked with expression of immunomodulatory molecules. I am now doing my postdoctoral research in cancer immunotherapies and trying to develop rational combination therapies to overcome therapeutic resistance in cancer.

My love for biology was instilled in me by my teachers and tutors. I am excited to be able to impart this love for biology to the next generation and anyone willing to learn! I routinely mentor high school, undergraduate, and graduate students in the laboratory where I work, and truly enjoy the 1:1 mentoring experience. I have extensive teaching experience, having taught several lectures to Master's students at New York Medical College. I have also assisted 4 years of medical microbiology laboratory for medical students, having led one of those modules myself. In between my masters and my doctoral studies, I worked as a research scientist at a company for 4 years, and I am happy to share my "real world" experiences with anyone wanting to know more!

My goal is to benefit each student by having them understand the subject material well. Since every indivivual needs a different levels of involvement, understanding, and methods of learning, I would appreciate any resources or feedback students or parents can provide to help me understand how to best meet my goals. I will respond to your questions fast, and I look forward to working with you! Please feel free to reach out and ask any additional questions, or schedule a session!