Sanjeev Ranade, PhD
Assistant Professor
Development, Aging and Regeneration Program
Center for Genetic Disorders and Aging Research
Catalyst to Independence Fellow
Additional Ventures
Program Director
California Institute for Regenerative Medicine SPARK Program at SBP
Sanjeev Ranade is an assistant professor at the Sanford Burnham Prebys Institute in La Jolla, CA. His research specialty lies in the intersection of developmental biology and functional genomics.
He was born in Bangalore, India and moved at a young age to rural Virginia. After undergraduate studies at James Madison University, he moved to Boston, MA to pursue a Master of Science degree at Northeastern University and concurrently work as a research technician in the chemical biology department of the Broad Institute of Harvard and M.I.T. He then moved to La Jolla, CA to pursue PhD studies at Scripps Research under the mentorship of Professor Ardem Patapoutian. There, he generated the loss of function mouse models for the mechanosensitive ion channels, Piezo1 and Piezo2, and led the studies that revealed the essential role for these genes in cardiovascular development and touch sensation. He then moved to San Francisco, CA for postdoctoral studies with Professor Deepak Srivastava at the Gladstone Institutes. Here, he integrated single cell genomics and developmental biology in the context of cardiac development and congenital heart disease. His work has been recognized by a California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) predoctoral fellowship and the Additional Ventures Catalyst to Independence career transition award.
Outside of lab, Sanjeev spends his time being chased by his two young children, occasionally escaping to the beach for a surf session. He is also trying to grow tomatoes, which is going about as well as his surfing…
Bastien is exploring the molecular mechanisms behind neural crest cell fate decisions in the developing heart and how their alterations lead to cardiac defects in Down Syndrome. He completed his PhD at l’institut du thorax in the amazing city of Nantes in France. Outside of the lab, he loves going out for a long hike, a swim in the ocean or going back home to bake French pastries and watch a movie.
Skye earned her undergraduate degree in molecular biology from UCSD and is now a PhD student using computational tools to study early embryonic heart development. Outside of the lab, she enjoys all kinds of sports, especially snowboarding.
Alyssa is focused on exploring the intersection of genetics and biology using computational tools. Originally from Oahu, Hawaii, she earned her Bachelor of Science degree in public health, with minors in biology and biophysics, at the University of Colorado, Denver. Beyond the lab, you can findAlyssa exploring nature and listening to rock ‘n’ roll music.
Hazel is passionate about maternal-fetal health, specifically understanding the molecular mechanisms underpinning placental development and its connection to congenital heart disease. She received her BS in Biology at San Diego State University and MS in Basic Medicine Science at Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine. Outside of lab, she loves spending time in nature, crocheting patterns beyond her limit, and listening to heavy metal.
Diana is developing cardiac organoid models to study congenital heart defects. She graduated in 2023 from UC San Diego with a major in neurobiology and a minor in cognitive science. When she is not babysitting stem cells, she is outside reading, practicing yoga, drawing, or sculpting.
Stathis is working to develop in vitro cardiac models derived from patients with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS). He is currently entering his fourth and final year at UC San Diego studying Microbiology. Outside of lab, he enjoys sports, video games, and cooking.
Saanvi is developing computational pipelines to integrate multiple prediction models of pathogenicity for genetic variants. She is currently entering her junior year as a student at Del Norte High School in San Diego, CA. Outside of the lab, Saanvi enjoys tennis, hiking, and board games.
Danielle grew up in Silicon Valley where her administrative professional career was sparked by a high school word-processing class. Following graduation from UC Berkeley with a B.A. in English, she joined her first of many non-profit companies including the RAND Corporation, Scripps Research, and Sanford Burnham Prebys. When not managing the administrative aspects of the lab, she enjoys gardening, bird watching, and reading.