The Harvard OpenBio team is dedicated to empowering our peers to create a positive impact on the world using biology.
We come from a variety of research backgrounds and bring a wide range of experiences to the table, united by our belief in the power of biology to create positive change. We believe that diversity is essential for driving progress and innovation, and we are committed to supporting the growth and development of our team members.
OpenBio Board

Ayush Noori

President

Ayush Noori is a junior at Harvard studying Neuroscience and Computer Science. Inspired by personal experiences with neurological disease, Ayush conducts research at the interface of neuroscience and AI. Working in labs across the Harvard Medical School, the Wyss Institute, and Massachusetts General Hospital, Ayush seeks to develop AI-enabled technologies that enable novel diagnostics and therapeutics for neurological disease and other challenging medical conditions.

Hugh Hankenson

President

Hugh is a sophomore at Harvard studying both Social Studies and Human Developmental and Regenerative Biology. He currently works in the Mooney Lab for Cell and Tissue Engineering, researching the generation of antigen-specific regulatory T cells. His other research interests include health equity and healthcare systems. Outside of lab, Hugh enjoys reading, playing chess, and exploring Boston by bike.

Audrey Gunawan

Vice-President

Audrey is a junior at Harvard studying Molecular and Cellular Biology and Government. She currently studies drug repurposing for various retinal diseases in the Kim Lab at Mass Eye and Ear. Outside of the lab, Audrey enjoys exploring coffee shops, watching Formula 1, and dancing in the Asian American Dance Troupe.

Rohil Dhaliwal

Director of Laboratory

Rohil is a junior at Harvard studying Biomedical Engineering and Chemistry and Physics. He most recently worked at Visterra, an antibody-based therapeutics company, where he sought to predict immunogenicity of antibodies and T-cell epitope binding for MHC Class I and II molecules. His interests lie in drug discovery and design, as well as entrepreneurship. Outside of the lab, Rohil fearlessly leads Harvard's powerlifting team and enjoys playing tennis and chess.

Sean Meng

Director of Engagement

Sean is a sophomore at Harvard studying Neuroscience on the Neurobiology track. He is interested in the intersection of natural intelligence and artificial intelligence, with a specific focus on utilizing the neural circuits underlying learning and perturbations of synaptic function in neurodegeneration to inform neural network development. Outside of lab, you can find him looking up new recipes to cook or coffee-shop hopping around Boston!

Sahil Sood

Director of Engagement

Sahil is a first year at Harvard studying biology and government, interested in pursuing a career as a physician. He is interested in mechanisms of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and developing novel approaches to help benefit low-income areas from falling victim to these new strains. In his free time, you can find him watching Breaking Bad, playing Super Smash, or in the gym.

Carl Ma

Director of Finance

Zijian ("Carl") is a senior at Harvard studying Chemical and Physical Biology and Computer Science. With experience in labs across MGH, HMS, and CCB, he is currently conducting his thesis research in the Church Lab at the Wyss Institute. There, he employs a synthetic biology approach to differentiate human germ cells and initiate meiosis in vitro. His research interests span biohacking, synthetic biology, machine learning in biology, and aging reversal.

Alumni

Since 2021, we have been led by dedicated undergraduate students, who have gone to pursue various endeavors from research to industry, in science, medicine, and beyond. All members of the OpenBio community should feel more than welcome to reach out to anyone in our alumni network!

Ian Espy

Director of Business

2022-2023

Business Analyst at McKinsey & Co

Jack Markert

Director of Laboratory

2022

MD Student at University of Alabama

Izzy Goodchild-Michelman

Co-Founder, Co-President

2021-2023

Research Assistant at Wyss Institute

Benjamin Chang

Co-Founder, Co-President

2021-2023

PhD Student at University of Oxford