Alina Starchenko

Alina Starchenko has a diverse work experience in various scientific roles. Alina is currently working as a Principal Scientist at Matchpoint Therapeutics since April 2021. Prior to this, they worked as a Senior Scientist at Quench Bio from September 2019 to March 2021, where they conducted tasks in support of a program to find small molecule inhibitors. Alina also performed computational analysis and set up strategies to test hypotheses with patient samples.

Before joining Quench Bio, Alina served as a Postdoctoral Fellow at Massachusetts Institute of Technology from February 2017 to February 2020. Their research focused on understanding the immune system and its impact on chronic inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. Alina utilized experimental and computational biology approaches to study mRNA, protein signaling, and microscopy-based validation.

Alina's work experience also includes a role as a PhD Thesis candidate at Vanderbilt University Medical Center from August 2011 to February 2017. During this time, they conducted research on colorectal cancer, epithelial polarity, and interactions between cells and the extracellular matrix. Alina also developed probes and tools for microscopy.

Prior to their doctoral studies, Alina worked as a Student Research Assistant at Cornell University in the Reinhart-King lab from January 2008 to June 2011. Alina focused on studying the tumor microenvironment and the interactions between ECM, tumor, and stromal cells in the development of metastatic cancer.

Additionally, they gained industry experience as a Pre-clinical Oncology Intern at MedImmune in 2009. Their responsibilities included building assay capabilities and analyzing the expression of potential clinical targets in 2D and 3D environments.

Lastly, Alina was awarded the HHMI STP scholarship at the National Institutes of Health from May 2005 to May 2006. Alina investigated the function of the Dlk protein in mesenchymal stem cell proliferation and differentiation, as well as its impact on neuronal development and long-term memory formation in mice.

Alina Starchenko pursued their education with a focus on biomedical engineering and biology. Alina began their academic journey at Cornell University, where they earned a Bachelor's degree in Biological/Biosystems Engineering in 2010. Following their undergraduate studies, they continued their education at Cornell University, completing a Master of Engineering (M.Eng.) in Biomedical Engineering, specializing in Tissue Engineering and Drug Delivery in 2011. Taking their knowledge and research interests further, they enrolled in Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, where they earned a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Cell and Developmental Biology, which they successfully completed in 2017. This educational background highlights their specialization in the field of biomedical engineering, tissue engineering, drug delivery, and cell and developmental biology.