Amara Thind

Amara Thind is a postdoctoral scholar in Dr. Elizabeth Egan’s lab in the Department of Pediatrics at Stanford University’s School of Medicine. Her research focuses on red blood cell (RBC) host factors that are important for Plasmodium spp. infection to help develop new approaches to treat malaria. Her work also involves understanding erythrocyte development and biology through genetically modifying RBCs from primary hematopoietic stem cells by ex-vivo erythropoiesis. Amara received her B.S. from the University of California, Irvine and her Ph.D. from the Molecular Biology Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), under the mentorship of Dr. Peter Bradley. At UCLA, she investigated the roles of Toxoplasma gondii’s secreted dense granule effector proteins during infection. In her academic career, Amara has also been dedicated to promoting STEM education and expanding its accessibility for underrepresented students. Outside of research, she enjoys playing beach volleyball, painting, and exploring the outdoors.