Bhavatharini "Rini" Kasinathan

Year Entered MSTP: 2013

Prior Education

College:	University of Iowa
Degree:	BS, BS, Biochemistry; Microbiology

Student Information

Mentor(s)	Malik, Harmit PhD Faculty Website »
Primary Department	Molecular & Cellular Biology

Doctorate Information

Dissertation Title:	Phylogenomic and Functional Analysis of ZAD-ZNF Transcription Factors in Drosophila
Defense Date:	2019-05-23

Current Positions

Title:	Resident
Location:	University of Washington, Seattle, WA

Publications »

Current Research

Transcription Factor Evolution

Rini Kasinathan completed her dissertation research in the Molecular and Cellular Biology program at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center under the mentorship of HHMI Investigator, Dr. Harmit Malik. Rini’s research focused on the evolutionary relationship between transcription factors and the chromatin with which they engage in order to effect gene regulation. Her approach was multidisciplinary, employing in vitro studies in conjunction with Drosophila models, computation, and next-generation DNA sequencing. While in clerkships, Rini has initiated clinical translational research addressing how COVID-19 is impacting participants in opioid recovery programs. Rini and her older brother, Siva, now a resident in the physician-scientist Pediatric Residency track at Stanford, share the distinction of being the only two siblings in the history of our program.