Van Andel Institute Graduate School Leena Kariapper - Van Andel Institute Graduate School

Leena Kariapper
Undergraduate university: University of Malaya (B. Sc. Genetics and Molecular Biology), University College London (M.Sc. Cancer)
Thesis: Structure and repression mechanisms of plant MYC complexes: structural basis for MYC repressor-activator transition
Mentor: Karsten Melcher, Ph.D.
Experience: The use of Epstein-Barr Virus p18 inclusion bodies in an in-house enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the detection of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (B.Sc.) and Investigating the differentiation of induced pluripotent stem cells into macrophages (M.Sc). I have experience working with a mice model study investigating the anti-cancer properties of an edible herb Morinda Citrifolia (Noni fruit) during my internship at University Putra Malaysia. After finishing my undergraduate studies, I worked for my thesis supervisor, optimizing IHC staining for candidate metastasis markers in breast cancer.
Hometown: Colombo, Sri Lanka
Hobbies: Biking, reading, watching BuzzFeed Unsolved Network shows, sketching, writing poetry, exploring new places