Smriti Sangwan
Assistant Professor of Pharmacology
Postdoc – UCSF, Peter Walter & David Agard
MS, PhD – UCLA, David Eisenberg
BS – MDU, India
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Azeem Khan
Postdoctoral Fellow
PhD – ICGEB, Arockiasamy Arulandu
MS – JNU, India
BS – Jamia Milia Islamia University, India 

Azeem is fascinated by the complexity and diversity of the world around him-both in nature and in science. He graduated from the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), New Delhi, where his research focused on developing strategies to target shallow binding pockets and contributed to the discovery of novel inhibitors. Looking ahead, he is excited to keep exploring how proteins interact with their partners and to use that understanding to design safer, more effective pharmacological modulators. Outside the lab, he loves spending time in nature or experimenting in the kitchen, two of his favorite ways to relax and recharge.

 

Amit Mitra
Postdoctoral Fellow
PhD – NIT Rourkela, Nandini Sarkar
MS – University of Burdwan, India
BS – University of Calcutta, India

Amit is from the City of Joy — Kolkata, India — and recently joined the Sangwan Lab as a Postdoctoral fellow. He completed his PhD at the National Institute of Technology Rourkela, where he investigated protein misfolding and aggregation mechanisms and developed strategies for designing protein aggregation blockers in the form of synthetic peptides and gold nanoparticles. His long-term goal is to decipher the structural code of proteins and translate that knowledge into meaningful therapeutic insights. Outside the lab, Amit enjoys playing soccer, exploring gastronomy, and immersing himself in music — and is looking forward to enjoying all of these in Chicago.

 

Caitlin Tramont
PhD Student

PhD – Northwestern University
BSA – University of Texas, Austin

Caitlin grew up in Las Vegas, Nevada, before moving to Austin, where she earned her BSA from the University of Texas at Austin. After graduating, she worked for two years in a synthetic biology lab, deepening her interest in biophysics and physiology and was inspired to pursuit graduate studies. During her Ph.D., she is excited to explore protein structure-function relationships and how their dysregulation contributes to disease. Outside the lab, Caty enjoys baking, reading, and discovering new places around Chicago.

 

Sara Herron
Graduate Researcher
MS – Northwestern University (expected 2026)
BS – UCLA 

From Bakersfield, California, Sara received her B.S. in Human Biology and Society from UCLA. Following her interest in cell and gene therapies, she is pursuing her M.S. in Biotechnology at Northwestern University with hopes of becoming a QC Analyst in the pharmaceutical industry. She enjoys her computational work at the Sangwan Lab designing inhibitors while learning more about protein analysis on the bench. Outside of the lab, Sara loves swimming, playing volleyball, and trying new restaurants in downtown Chicago. 

 

Mariah Waters
Lab Aide
BS – Northwestern University (expected 2028)

Mariah is an undergraduate student from Ashburn, Virginia pursuing a BA in Theatre, Dance minor on the Pre-Medical track at Northwestern. Since joining the lab in the fall, Mariah has gained more comfortability in a lab setting and knowledge on what day-to-day lab work looks like that she hopes to apply in the future. Mariah is fascinated by the creativity laboratory sciences requires and is interested in exploring the intersection of the arts and biological sciences. Outside of the lab, Mariah loves to stay active with running, cycling, or taking a long stroll with her dog, Luna.

 

Sridhar Thiru
Undergraduate Researcher
BS – Northwestern University (expected 2028)

Sridhar is from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and is currently pursuing a BS in Data Science and Biology as a freshman at Northwestern University. Since joining the lab in the spring, he has been seeking to gain hands-on research experience through day-to-day lab experiments and discussions focused on protein analysis. Outside of the lab, Sridhar likes to follow and play a variety of sports, as well as try new food and spend time with his friends. 

 

Alumni

Hannah Rieder
Post-Baccalaureate Research Fellow
Current Position – MS program, Northwestern University

Ashmit Shitole
Undergraduate Researcher
Current Position – Undergraduate, Case Western Reserve University