Kushi Kushekhar

Kushi Kushekhar has a diverse range of work experience in the field of immunology and medical research. Kushi most recently worked at Nykode Therapeutics as a Senior Scientist, starting in July 2022, and previously held the position of Scientist at the same company from May 2021 to June 2022. Before joining Nykode Therapeutics, Kushi served as the Treasurer for the Norwegian Society for Immunology starting in January 2019.

In terms of research experience, Kushi worked as a Marie Curie Postdoctoral Fellow at Oslo University Hospital from November 2016, focusing on studying the basic mechanisms of immune regulation in cancer and autoimmune diseases. Kushi conducted various techniques such as CyTOF-based immune cell profiling, phospho flow cytometry-based analysis of T cell signaling, Tregs suppression assays, and transcriptomics-based investigations.

Prior to that, Kushi was a Postdoctoral Researcher at Indiana University School of Medicine from August 2015 to September 2016. Kushi'sresearch here focused on identifying biomarkers for graft rejection after allogenic stem cell transplantation for leukemia. Kushi specifically studied the precursors of dendritic cells and CD146+ CCR5+ CD4+ T cells as potential cellular biomarkers.

Kushi also gained research experience as a PhD Candidate at the University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG) from April 2010 to March 2015. Kushi'sresearch project aimed to understand the occurrence of Epstein Barr Virus positive classical Hodgkin lymphoma (EBV+ cHL) in immunocompetent individuals. Kushi conducted extensive testing of HLA typing in classical Hodgkin lymphoma patients and healthy controls, as well as screening and identification of EBV latent antigenic epitopes.

Furthermore, Kushi worked as a Junior Research Fellow at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences from July 2008 to February 2010. Kushi'sresearch focused on molecular characterization and immunopathogenesis in Chikungunya viral (CHIKV) fever and Rotaviral diarrhea. Kushi conducted global analysis of inflammatory cytokines and molecular characterization of prevalent CHIKV strains.

Kushi also has experience as a Research Assistant at the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi and completed a Masters project at the Center for Clean Environment Technology, Bangalore University. Additionally, they gained practical experience as an Intern at Kempegowda Institute of Medical Sciences and Veterinary College Bangalore.

Overall, Kushi Kushekhar has demonstrated expertise in immunology research, with a focus on immune regulation, biomarker identification, and immunopathogenesis.

Kushi Kushekhar began their education in 1995 at Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, where they completed their Class 12 studies in Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Biology. In 2002, they attended V.V Puram College of Science Bangalore-4 and earned a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) degree in Biotechnology, which they completed in 2005. Pursuing further studies, Kushekhar enrolled at Bangalore University in 2005 and completed their Master of Science (M.Sc) degree in Biotechnology in 2007. Additionally, in April 2011, they obtained a certification in Good Clinical Practices (GCP) from the Graduate School Medical Sciences, University Medical Center Groningen.