Buzzin’ Brood: Student Spotlight, Deeksha Surisetty, M.S. Biotechnology

February 6, 2024

This article is part of our Buzzin’ Brood Student Spotlight series, one of our ongoing People & Places Features. We are thrilled to spotlight the next generation of industry. Be sure to FOLLOW us on LinkedIn to tell us what you think and let us know if you have a student or intern you’d like us to feature.

Name: Deeksha Surisetty

Hometown: McKinney, Texas

Academic/Training Institution + Degree/Certification:

B.S. Neuroscience- University of Texas at Dallas, M.S. Biotechnology- Georgetown University

Class/Cohort: Spring 2024

Clubs/Activities/Extracurriculars: Biotechnology Executive Board, serve as vice president

How did you get here?

My name is Deeksha Surisetty. I graduated from UT Dallas with a neuroscience background originally intending to become a doctor. However, after volunteering at a resource-limited clinic in India, I had an epiphany. I realized that while doctors treat patients, medical innovations and access enable them to provide better care.

This inspired me to pursue a master’s in Biotechnology with a BioBusiness focus at Georgetown. I want to use my scientific knowledge to help bridge the gap between biotech innovators and patients needing breakthrough treatments. My goal is to work in marketing for a biotech firm, devising strategies to educate people about new therapies. Though not hands-on care, I now see this promotion work as vital for global health impact by improving awareness and availability of life-changing innovations. I’m motivated to raise access so the latest technologies can reach and benefit more people everywhere.

What is currently blowing your mind right now?

What’s blowing my mind right now is the untapped potential in the biotech startup space. Through my internship at QIAGEN, I work on scouting out the most promising accelerators and incubators to nurture early-stage life sciences companies.

I’m constantly amazed at the innovative medical solutions these startups are pioneering – revolutionary new diagnostics, targeted therapies, and precision medicine approaches. However, many are stalled in getting their technologies from bench to bedside due to lack of funding and development support. It’s incredibly exciting yet frustrating to see these ideas on the cusp of significantly advancing healthcare, if only they had the resources.

That’s why I’m so driven in my role in bridging the gap between brilliant science and clinical implementation. My mind is blown daily by the vast untapped potential to accelerate medical breakthroughs if we can better support our biotech innovators and entrepreneurs. It’s what motivates me to evaluate and bolster the startup ecosystem from within.

If you could explain yourself in only emojis, what would those be?

If you could travel into the future… what does your LinkedIn Headline say?

Biotech Startup Consultant at Leading Life Sciences Accelerator

After seeing firsthand the struggles startups face translating research to products, I aim to work at an elite incubator one day. By evaluating potential investments and guiding these emerging companies strategically through key development milestones, I hope to turn today’s bold medical ideas into tomorrow’s standard-of-care breakthrough treatments that tangibly improve patient outcomes worldwide. My goal is to pay forward the mentorship I’ve received by advising the next generation of driven young scientists and entrepreneurs on how to effectively advance healthcare innovation.

FUN Question: What is your favorite quote and why?

“Scientific inquiry shouldn’t stop just because a reasonable explanation has apparently been found.”

This quote by Neil deGrasse Tyson perfectly encapsulates my perspective on innovation. As someone passionate about the life sciences, I believe we must continually push the boundaries rather than settling for the status quo in medical treatments. There is so much still unexplained in disease mechanisms and the human body.

I take this quote to heart because I never want to become complacent in my scientific career, whether at a biotech startup or conducting pharmaceutical research. I plan to consistently think outside the box rather than perceive our knowledge as complete. Just as barriers to adoption initially held back mRNA vaccines, we have to actively avoid a narrow mindset and push the frontiers of medical possibilities. This means embracing creativity and persistence through the inevitable failures and uncertainties along the way. I refuse to allow the fear of embarrassment stifle my questioning, as that iterative process leads to transformational breakthroughs.

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Interested in connecting with Deeksha? You can find her on LinkedIn. Interested in exploring a similar role at QIAGEN? Kashif Haque is your guy!