Karthik Chetlapalli

Karthik is currently a Yale medical student, having had diverse experiences across medicine and biotech. He began his career at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. While an undergrad, he worked as a synaptic electrophysiology research assistant, an ambulance EMT, and a vice president for a student-run veteran’s rehabilitation organization. Later as a business development intern for Neurocrine Biosciences, he screened academic institutes and upcoming startups for novel neuropsychiatric therapeutics.

During his Master’s, Karthik explored the prospect of new stem-cell-based methods for use in antifibrotics and next-generation (CAR) cell therapy. While he worked as a lab assistant for kidney organoid research at USC, Karthik started and led his non-profit SROA to tackle stem cell treatment fraud. More recently, Karthik worked at City of Hope as a clinical genetics assistant, supporting genetic counseling and precision medicine for patients facing cancer. As a current medical student, Karthik is interested in clinical trial equity, cancer outcomes, immuno-oncology therapeutics, and the power of venture capital in advancing medicine.

Karthik earned an M.S. in Stem Cell Biology and a B.S. in Neuroscience with a minor in Health Care Studies from the University of Southern California.