What is your favorite season?
While I enjoy every season, my favorite is spring. It is something to look forward to, especially during cold Februarys. I just love the floral blooms, the leaves spurting out in a myriad shade of green from barren branches, and the warmth in the air with the mild but ever-present chill mixed in. I have enjoyed spring in its unique way in every American city I have lived in.

Describe your office. What’s the story behind what people see when they walk into it?
I love my office. The first thing people see is a Lego build on the shelf that says CSHL (made by my son when I joined CSHL in 2017). Also displayed are a CSHL publication and a memento celebrating the therapeutic success of Spinraza in treating SMA, one of our biggest TTO success stories. I also have several books including a book by Elizabeth Watson titled “Grounds for Knowledge” that showcases the buildings and flora of CSHL with a historical perspective. I have some mementos from the various places I have lived in that mark my journey in life. I also have AUTM 2022 mementos from the New Orleans meeting (including the ‘bling’ I was awarded!) and pictures of my family. In addition, there is a plant that I nurture every day, a standing desk, and a world map with no countries.

If you could only eat one item for every meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?
This is a tough one to think about but may come in handy if I am in a survival situation like Bear Grylls. My answer is fish, which is something I enjoy eating anytime and I can live with eating fish in any shape, raw or fully cooked, for every meal for the rest of my life!

If you’ve lost focus, what do you do to get back on track?
I usually go for a walk. A walk gives me the means to do a reset and helps me get my focus back and unwind. In addition, it is a great way to get some exercise and also enjoy the nature around our beautiful campus, which is in fact a botanical garden!

What’s your favorite sport to watch and which team do you root for?
I enjoy most American sports, especially baseball, football, and basketball - in that order - which I have been following for more than two decades. However, my favorite sport is cricket. I love anything cricket and the team I root for is the Chennai Super Kings, the reigning champions of the Indian Premier League.

What’s the top destination on your must-visit list?
My top destination to travel to is the land of the Lord of the Rings, home of the current world champion cricket team, and the country led by one of my favorite world leaders, Jacinda Ardern – New Zealand.

What led you to a career in tech transfer?
When I was a Research Scientist at Mass General in Boston, I had the opportunity to do an internship at Partners Innovation (now called MGB Innovation) and enjoyed doing both IP and business development. I soon realized technology transfer is a great way to use scientific knowledge and expertise to promote technologies that create a public benefit.

What’s something your TTO has celebrated recently?
We recently moved offices at CSHL. Our new office has a nice conference room, with a panoramic view of Cold Spring Harbor looking into Long Island Sound and all the way to Connecticut. We had an open house in April to announce our move and welcomed our president and CEO and our faculty. It was splendid to entertain all and celebrate the move with our scientists. 

What’s your favorite part of being an AUTM Member?
I love everything about AUTM and the tagline “Transforming Ideas into Opportunities” is exactly what I do, and what I love about technology transfer. My favorite part of being an AUTM Member is the collective ability of the Membership to help each other innovate and sustain technology development, solve issues that may sound unique initially but are something more than one member has cracked before, and the ready exchange of knowledge.

What do you look forward to as a member of the Better World Project Committee?
To me, the Better World Project is one of AUTM’s best endeavors. Evaluating the submissions that AUTM member institutions believe made the world better is something I really look forward to as a member of the Better World Project Committee. If you have not already, listen to the story of Better World from committee co-chairs George Chellapa and Meagan Pitcher, in their interview on Lisa Mueller’s Tech Transfer IP podcast.