In this episode, I converse with Prof. Vijay Ramani, Principal Investigator and Sandler Fellow at the University of California, San Francisco. He finished his B.S.E. in Chemical Engineering at Princeton University, with minors in Quantitative & Computational Biology, and Engineering Biology and then spent a year as a Computational Biology intern at Sangamo BioSciences. Vijay went on to complete his PhD studies in Jay Shendure’s lab at the University of Washington, where he invented high-throughput molecular methods to study biological phenomena at scale. These methods included an assay for studying RNA structure, as well as single-cell genomic assays reliant on in situ DNA barcoding of intact cells and nuclei, to make genome-wide measurements in thousands of single-cells without ever resorting to single-cell isolation.

Vijay's lab develops novel molecular technologies to understand the regulation of biology’s central dogma – the transfer of genetic information from DNA to RNA to protein. We indulge in a terrific conversation on his extremely fascinating journey through science and life; early familial influences to foray into science; partaking in OG genome editing before the CRISPR boom; fundamental research in industry; heading to UW for grad school and working with terrific mentors like Prof. Jay Shendure; starting as a PI straight out of grad school; prescient thoughts on structural changes required in academia; the far-reaching consequences of society's understanding of science; exciting future of biotech; and many more things!!