Previous Institution: University of California, Santa Barbara

Pronouns: he/they

Hello! I'm Viraj Ghosh (he/him), a 4th year Ph.D. Student in the Bioengineering Department in the Vlassakis Lab. I grew up in Palo Alto, CA, and I went to UC Santa Barbara for my undergraduate degree in chemical engineering. Currently I study DNA/oncoprotein interactions and design tools for high-throughput single molecule force spectroscopy. Outside of research, there's a lot to do in Houston! I currently sing bass and beatbox in an a cappella group called Docappella, which consists of graduate students, medical students, and medical professionals in and around the Texas Medical Center (right next to Rice). I also do long distance running and swimming, and love to get outside when I can. If you have any questions, I'm happy to answer them!

Why I decided to go to grad school:

I loved the academic and work environment in the labs I did research in at UCSB, and knew I wanted to continue that in a more biology-focused field in graduate school.

Fun fact about me:

I play guitar, piano, the trombone, sing and beatbox.

Favorite thing about Rice:

Valhalla (the graduate student bar) is an absolute gem.

Favorite thing about Houston:

Houston's one of the most diverse cities in the US--and this especially comes across in the food. This city is a good place to be if you're a foodie!