RUMANA (RU) RASHID

Harvard Medical School - Laboratory of Systems Pharmacology

Co-developed the Cyclic Immunofluorescence (CyCIF) platform, a breakthrough high-plex imaging technology enabling simultaneous visualization of 60+ protein markers in tissue samples. Pioneered methods for spatial tissue analysis that became foundational for the Human Tumor Atlas Network.

Biomedical Informatics - Department of Biomedical Informatics

Graduated with highest honors from Harvard Medical School's Master of Science program in Biomedical Informatics. Thesis focused on computational methods for analyzing high-dimensional tissue imaging data. Recognized with the Outstanding Master's Student Award for academic excellence and research contributions.

Harvard Medical School - Open Source Software Development

Led development of Minerva, an interactive web-based viewer for exploring large-scale tissue imaging datasets. Adopted as the official visualization tool for the National Cancer Institute's Human Tumor Atlas Network, enabling researchers worldwide to interactively explore multi-scale tissue images.

University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine

Matriculated into the highly selective Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP), one of 45 students nationwide to receive the prestigious NIH T32 training grant. Dual program combining clinical training in medicine with doctoral research in computational biology and artificial intelligence applications in oncology.

Healthcare Venture Capital - Investment Analysis

Selected for competitive VC fellowship focused on healthcare technology investments. Conducted comprehensive due diligence on 30+ early-stage startups across diagnostics, therapeutics, and digital health sectors. Contributed to investment decisions allocating $129M in capital across portfolio companies.

Board Member - Student Investment Organization

Appointed to leadership position overseeing venture capital initiatives for University of Pittsburgh's premier student investment organization. Established partnerships with regional VC firms, developed healthcare investment theses, and mentored students in startup evaluation and deal sourcing strategies.

University of Pittsburgh & Harvard Medical School

Initiated development of REPAIR (REsponse Prediction through Analysis of Intratumoral Heterogeneity), a novel AI framework integrating spatial proteomics and machine learning to predict glioblastoma treatment response. Designed 28-marker multiplexed imaging panel capturing DNA damage repair pathway activation across tumor microenvironments.

Healthcare Investment Strategy - MENA Region

Consulted for Dubai Future District Fund to develop comprehensive healthcare investment strategy targeting innovation across the Middle East and North Africa region. Analyzed regional market dynamics, regulatory landscapes, and emerging opportunities in precision medicine, digital health, and healthcare infrastructure.

Startup Fundraising Advisory

Provided strategic fundraising support for early-stage precision medicine startup developing novel diagnostic platforms. Created investor pitch materials, developed go-to-market strategies, and facilitated introductions to healthcare-focused venture capital firms and angel investors.

Biomedical Informatics - University of Pittsburgh

Successfully defended doctoral dissertation on "Spatial Analysis of DNA Damage Response Heterogeneity for Predicting Therapeutic Outcomes in Glioblastoma." Published 15+ peer-reviewed papers in high-impact journals including Nature Methods and Cell Reports. Dissertation recognized for advancing the field of computational pathology and precision oncology.

Clinical Translation Studies

Completed rigorous validation of REPAIR AI model across 350+ glioblastoma patient samples from multiple medical centers. Achieved exceptional performance with AUC of 0.94 for predicting treatment response, demonstrating robust generalizability across diverse patient populations and clinical settings. Results positioned REPAIR for clinical translation.

Clinical Translation & Commercialization

Advanced REPAIR framework toward FDA-approved companion diagnostic status for glioblastoma therapy selection. Collaborating with industry partners to establish clinical-grade assay protocols, regulatory pathways, and commercialization strategies to bring AI-driven precision medicine tools to neurosurgical oncology practice.