Smita Ghanekar Email & Phone Number

Fremont, Ca, Us

South San Francisco, Ca, Us

Franklin Lakes, New Jersey, Us

2001-2007 Co-investigator on NCI’s U54 Cancer Treatment Evaluation Program (Immunologic Monitoring Consortium)*Team leader for business strategic initiative for Single Cell Analysis of Solid Tumors • Demonstrated excellent leadership skills with professional and approachable style• Team vision driven by unmet needs of the clinical cancer researchers• Leaded the team through building relationships, both across functions and business units, and external thought leaders/entities• Effectively communicated technical as well business concepts to peers and executive management/decision makers• Efficiently acquired new skills outside the area of expertise• Team performed beyond management’s expectation in resource-constrained environment• Visibility to non-utilized existing technology by demonstrating an application suitable for strong unmet need * Cell therapy process characterization assays• Designed, managed and delivered high parameter flow cytometry based QC assays working with scientists and management of external cell therapy corporations. Assays were designed to characterize cells at manufacturing sites and clinical sites. *Led feasibility and development of key assays/reagents/kits from concept to product development*. Characterization of tumor microenvironment, e.g. checkpoint marker expression on tumor cells and infiltrating immune cells• Assay to simultaneously measure antigen-specific lymphocyte proliferation (BrdU) and intracellular cytokines• Drug inhibition studies: Designed and developed functional assays for innate immunity (DC, NK and monocytes): detection of intracellular signaling /phosphorylation by PhosFlow and cytokine expression• FASTImmune Treg functional assay, mechanism of Treg function *Developed and maintained relationships with:-pharma to drive immune function assays into clinical markets-thought leaders in the field of Oncology/tumor analysis to form collaborative alliance for single cell analysis of Solid Tumors

San Francisco, California, Us

*Project lead for Immuno-pathogenesis of HIV infectionAnalysis of Th1 and Th2 cytokine production by different T cell subsets in HIV infection.*Pathogenesis of Chronic Fatigue SyndromeImmunology of the disease: cytokine production, function of cell subsets such as NK cells, CD8+ T cells, and dendritic cells in efforts to find an etiologic agent.

Pittsburgh, Pa, Us

1994-1996 Postdoctoral Training Award (SHARP) funded by Public health Services/NIH for research in the field of HIV pathogenesis.Immunology of infectious diseases like HIV and HSV*Developed RT-PCR technique to amplify and quantify mRNA for various cytokines from a very small number of dendritic cells important in antigen presentation. *Studied the replication profile of HIV in blood dendritic cells by using PCR in situ using non-radioactive biotin labeled probe and related molecular techniques.*Adapted the technique to grow and purify monocyte-derived dendritic cells, which could be used for cell based gene therapies for diseases such as HIV and cancer.

Identification and characterization of epitopes responsible for SLE*Quickly learned brain dissection of MRL/lpr mice, and molecular cloning, in situ hybridization technologies. Affinity purified sera from lupus patients using murine brain cortical plasma membrane proteins and analyzed their reactivity to recombinant fusion proteins expressed by human brain cDNA clones in order to characterize the antigen responsible for neuro-SLE.

1982-1990 Junior and Senior Research Fellowships from Indian Council of Medical Research, New Delhi, India.A new approach to vaccine: Anti-idiotypic antibodies for Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV)*Successfully prepared affinity purified anti-idiotypic antibodies against JEV monoclonal antibodies in an approach towards newer generation of vaccine for JEV, a fatal disease prevalent in India. *Induced anti-JEV immune response by anti-Ids in experimental animals (mice and guinea pigs).*Used these anti-idiotypic antibodies to study the idiotype repertoire of the antibodies produced during natural infection and post-vaccination indicating the need for newer vaccine with protective epitopes. *Demonstrated that these anti-idiotypic antibodies can be used as a receptor probe for JEV susceptible cells using the neuronal cells.

Phd, Immunology

Master'S Degree, Biochemistry

Bachelor'S Degree, Chemistry