Samantha Gurumurthy

I am a DPhil student with a keen interest in the applications of stem cell biology in modelling disease pathophysiology. I graduated with a First Class Honours in Biomedical Sciences at University College London, and hold a Masters in Molecular Medicine from Imperial College London, where I was awarded the Faculty of Medicine Dean's Prize for ranking top of my cohort. During my postgraduate studies, I developed and applied iPSC-derived cerebral organoid models to investigate innate immune responses in the human brain, which shaped my interest in stem cell-based approaches to studying disease mechanisms. My DPhil research primarily focuses on elucidating the underlying genetic contributors to cerebral small vessel disease using iPSC-derived 2D and 3D neuronal cultures. Specifically, my work focuses on modelling blood-brain barrier and choroid plexus dynamics using a multidisciplinary approach that integrates patient-derived iPSC differentiation, organ-on-a-chip systems, microfluidics and electrophysiological analyses. The overarching aim of my work is to identify potential novel therapeutic targets. My broader research interests lie in the development and leveraging of advanced bioengineering technologies for organoid modelling and drug discovery.