Tanvee Varma '18

Tanvee Varma '18

Hi! My name is Tanvee Varma and I am a sophomore at Wellesley College! I joined the Tetel lab during the second semester of my first year in the spring of 2015. I have been working with Kalpana Acharya on assessing protein action on the female mouse brain.

In my freshmen and sophomore year of high school, I published a paper with my classmates titled, "Determining the Willingness to Pay for Ecosystem Service Restoration in a Degraded Coastal Watershed: A Ninth Grade Investigation." During the summer into my junior year, I conducted research in the Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources at Rutgers University on frog genomics and plant root anatomy. During the summer into my senior year, I conducted neuroendocrine research at the Rockefeller University on the effect that acute stress has on the prefrontal cortex in mice. During the summer of 2015, I interned under Dr. Anna Greka in the Renal Division at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. I studied the effect of TRPC5, a calcium ion channel, on the function of podocytes, which are cells that are integral to the kidney filter barrier.

I have learned a great many skills along the way including PCR, Gel electrophoresis, Western blotting, RT-PCR, and Immunohistochemistry and my enthusiasm for science has only been increasing since my first days in 9th grade biology. I intend to study Economics and Biology at Wellesley and hope to pursue a career in medicine.  

When I’m not in the lab or studying for different classes, I love to spend time reading, writing, playing Frisbee, and dancing. I am a part of the Harvard Bhangra team, the Wellesley News, and the Wellesley Association for South Asian Culture!