231 Pine Hill Circle Waltham, MA 02451

Raghu Kiran Appasani

231 Pine Hill Circle • Waltham, MA 02451

Mobile: (781) 266-8211 • Email:

EducationBachelor of Arts

Wesleyan University, Middletown, ConnecticutClass of 2012

Dual degree in Neuroscience & Behavior and Science in Society

Work & Leadership Experience

The MINDS Foundation, Waltham, MASummer 2010-Present

Founder & Chief Executive Officer

• Started a foundation aimed at eliminating stigma around mental illness in rural areas of developing countries.
• Effectively recruited a Board of Directors, Management, Medical Advisory Board, and Legal Counsel
• Developed a unique grassroots approach and research department targeting mental health issues
• Raised over $30,000 through fundraisers, angel investors, foundations, and venture capital
• Developed partnerships with corporations, foundations, medical institutions, universities and NPOs
• Top 40 project in Dell Social Innovation Challenge 2012, Semi-finalist in MassChallenge 2012

Patricelli Center for Social Entrepreneurship, Middletown, CTFall 2011-Present

Student Advisory Committee Founder

• Started a student advisory committee to work with administrative members of the new Patricelli Center
• Implemented new initiatives to raise awareness in the University community about social entrepreneurship
• Involved in a search committee for a new Director for the Allbritton Center for the Study of Public Life
• Organized workshops and speaker series around social entrepreneurship

Wesleyan University Academic Honor Board, Middletown, CTFall 2010-Present

Co-Chair (2011-12), Junior member (2010-11)

• Updated an out-of-date University-wide honor code and violation process & developed an educational module for incoming students about the honor code
• Worked with Dean of Student Affairs, Provost, and Faculty chair to bring awareness to academic violations and the code on-campus.
• Worked with 3 other members to provide fair hearings for students being brought to the board

Appasani Research Conferences & Educational Institute, Boston, MAJanuary 2009-Present

Board Member

• Operate as a Board Member to encourage collaborations between academia and industry in the medical sciences
• Raised funds for 30+ scholars from around the world to attend focused scientific conferences
• Organized 4 global scientific conferences in Boston, New York City, Oxford (UK), and Italy

GeneExpression Systems Inc., Waltham, MAApril 2002 – Present

Business Development

• Developed media and sponsorship packages for corporations to support conferences
• Established relationships with 50+ pharmaceutical/biotech companies and media outlets
• Maintained upkeep of IT department, internal networking, web and mail servers

Research Experience

Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NYSummer 2010 & Summer 2011

Researcher, Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP)

• Selected to participate in a highly competitive program (3% admittance rate) in the lab of Dr. Eric Nestler
• Concentrated on a project addressing the issue of how various classes of drugs affect dopamine neuron morphology in the ventral tegmental area of the reward circuit
• Focused on targeting novel molecules involved in depression using chronic social defeat stress, gene-mediated therapy, and behavioral and biochemical assays in rodents
• Began a study discovering molecules and transcription factors common across various drug addictions

Wesleyan University, Middletown, CTSeptember 2008 – May 2010

Student Researcher, Howard Hughes Medical Institute

• Worked in the laboratory of Dr. Janice Naegele (Professor of Biology)
• Used the technique of in utero electroporation in mice to examine the effects of manipulations in DNA repair pathways and roles of potential neuro-protective molecules
• Trained 3 other students in the methodological techniques used in the laboratory

Harvard Medical School, Boston, MASeptember 2006 – May 2008

Student Researcher, Children’s Hospital Boston & Harvard Stem Cell Institute

• Worked in the laboratory of Dr. Laurie Jackson-Grusby
• Concentrated on a project using RNA interference technology to determine the biological function of CD133 and suppress tumor growth
• Trained 2 other students in the methodological techniques used in the laboratory
• Selected as Intel Science Talent Search Semifinalist (2008), Genzyme Science Awardee (2007), and Sanofi-Aventis International BioGENEius Challenge Finalist for research project

Columbia University, New York, NYJune 2006 – September 2006

Student Researcher, College of Physicians & Surgeons

• Worked in the laboratories of Dr. Eric Kandel and Dr. Jingyuge Ju
• Analyzed Aplysia at a molecular level by sequencing specific microRNAs and cDNA libraries

Harvard Medical School, Boston, MAAugust 2005

Research Assistant, Children’s Hospital Boston

• Worked in the laboratory of Dr. Michael Greenberg
• Focused on isolating microRNAs from the rat mammalian brain with the goal of localizing them to specific regions of the brain

Honors & Publications

• The New York Academy of Sciences, Member 2011 – Present
• StartingBloc Fellow & Admissions Member 2011 – Present
• Sigma Xi: The Scientific Research Society, Associate Member 2009 – Present
• Society for Neuroscience, Member 2009 – Present
• Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Fellow 2009 – May 2010

Books

• Appasani RK, Appasani K. (eds.) (2010). Stem Cells & Regenerative Medicine: From Molecular Embryology to Tissue Engineering. Springer Science (Humana)
• Appasani RK.(2012). “Introduction to Epigenomics.”Epigenomics: From Chromatin Biology to Therapeutics. (Cambridge University Press)

Papers

• Mazei-Robison MS, Koo JW, Friedman AK, Lansink CS, Robison AJ, Vinish M, Krishnan V, Kim S, Siuta MA, Galli A, Niswender KD, Appasani R, Horvath MC, Neve RL, Worley PF, Snyder SH, Hurd YL, Cheer JF, Han MH, Russo SJ, Nestler EJ. Role for mTOR signaling and neuronal activity in morphine-induced adaptations in ventral tegmental area dopamine neurons. Neuron. 2011 Dec 22; 72: 977-990
• Appasani RK (2010). Aiding in the evolution of translational medicine: “Bridging Academia and Industry” in the field of neuroscience. Frontiers in Neuroscience 4:56.

Community Service

• Teaching Assistant, Introductory Physics, Wesleyan UniversitySeptember 2011 – May 2012
• Teaching Assistant, Behavioral Neurobiology, Wesleyan UniversityFall 2011
• Global Impact Fellow, Unite for Sight, AB Eye Institute (Patna, Bihar, India) January 2011
• Teaching Mentor, Principles of Biology, Wesleyan University September 2009- May 2010

Skills

Languages: Conversational Proficiency in Telugu, Intermediate Hindi

Technical Skills: Proficient with SPSS, Photoshop, Microsoft Office, Dreamweaver, Windows Small Business Server 2003, Kerio Mail Server, Volocity 3D Image Analysis Software