The Carolyn Slayman prize, awarded each year by the Department of Genetics, recognizes not only achievement in scientific research but also exceptional contributions to the scientific community. This year’s recipient is Dr. Raman Nelakanti, a geneticist who recently obtained his MD-PhD from the School of Medicine. Dr. Nelakanti’s passion for the processes behind stem cell fate decisions links back to his days as an undergraduate at Stanford University, where he first began delving into the question of what makes a ‘stem cell’ a stem cell. Beginning his graduate studies in Dr. Andrew Xiao’s lab, his research has sought to elucidate the functions of certain epigenetic markers in stem cell development.
Looking back on his time at Yale, Dr. Nelakanti’s advice is simply to be flexible. “You come into the beginning of an MD-PhD thinking you’re going to do one thing, and it’s okay if that changes throughout time.” He says. “Don’t be too set on any one particular path because you might be surprised where eight years leads you.”
Aside from his accomplishments in research, Dr. Nelakanti also embodies the Slayman Prize’s emphasis on community connection. Throughout his time at Yale, Dr. Nelakanti volunteered at the Haven Free Clinic and sang with the Yale Citations, giving him the chance to connect to the community outside of his own department. Beyond that, mentorship was an important part of how Dr. Nelakanti interacted with his Yale community, acting as a TA and assisting rotation students to help give back to the Genetics Department. This balance between research and connection is one he credits to the department itself as well. “There are a lot of good things that build a community.” Dr. Nelakanti says. “I think the Genetics Department does that really well. It’s something that the Slayman Prize reflects. It’s not just about the research; it’s also about community.”
Dr. Nelakanti recently returned to Stanford to begin his career as a physician-scientist, focusing on transitioning his expertise in epigenetics and stem cell biology to better understand the fate of cancer cells in leukemia. While he remains interested in new research developments in stem cell biology, Dr. Nelakanti is most excited to begin applying his expertise in a clinical context to bridge the “translational gap” in our understanding of various types of blood cancers.