Vineeth (Vinny) Chandran Suja
Ph.D. ‘21
Chemical Engineering
Academic advisor: Professor Gerald Fuller
What have you been up to since Stanford?
Exploring translational science and the east coast. I’m currently a post-doctoral researcher at Harvard with Prof. Samir Mitragotri, where I am applying my Stanford ChemE training in colloidal and interfacial science to biological systems. A particularly exciting technology I’m working on concerns the development of disc shaped colloidal particles that can be attached to immune cells for drug delivery. This technology has the potential to transform the delivery of treatments for a wide range of diseases like multiple sclerosis, TBI and cancer. I’m also exploring machine learning strategies for unsolved problems in colloidal science.
Aside from research, I've been deeply thinking about high school outreach and how that could evolve with the recent staggering techno-social changes. I co-founded and directed MediStar, a virtual summer program for high school students at Harvard. Buoyed by the success of this program, I am working on translating this program to other countries, including a variant called BiomeSTAR targeting socioeconomically challenged students in India.
What’s your fondest memory about your time at Stanford?
The most meaningful experience at Stanford was undoubtedly TAing for Chem 120A: Fluid Mechanics. Guiding students through the intricacies of fluid mechanics and witnessing their "aha" moments was incredibly fulfilling. Organizing the fluid mechanics video lecture day with the students and helping them appreciate the subject’s beauty was also unbelievably fun. Beyond that, I dearly miss the parties at Gerry’s place, potluck dinners with the Fuller group, and of course hanging out in Tressider – especially relaxing at CoHo with a chickadee sandwich and listening to their music. I can’t wait to relive some of these memories when I’m back on campus.
Can you share any advice with our current students or postdocs?
Embrace learning from unexpected sources, and Stanford is treasure trove for them. I learned life lessons through interactions with the Stanford ChemE staff (a special shoutout to you Jeanne) and ended up with a whole new perspective of my research through teaching and mentoring undergraduate and high school students.
This article is part of the Department of Chemical Engineering Alumni Spotlight series designed to highlight the impact and trajectory of the work of our alumni. Stanford University does not endorse any non-Stanford entities, programs, products, or services listed in the article.
