Manu Kattimani

My name is Manu. I am currently attending the University of Toronto as an incoming fifth year student specializing in Pharmacology. Outside of pharmacology, I love to take classes in history and philosophy of sciences, ethics and religion. 

I was first introduced to research as a 2nd-year student when I undertook a project under Dr. Tyndale, where we examined allelic imbalance within individuals who are heterozygous at known CYP2A6 variant single nucleotide polymorphisms for a better understanding of pharmacogenomics of nicotine addiction. I later completed a thesis project under Dr. Swardfager, where I researched genetic variations for keratin genes to identify possible variants which contribute to progression in Alzheimer's disease through cardiovascular disease mechanisms. I have completed a 12-month internship at Ripple Therapeutics, where I worked as a Research Scientist and Clinical Scientist in their Glaucoma/Platform team and Clinical IBE-814 team, respectively. Most recently, I worked with STXBP1 Foundation and the University of Toronto to investigate altered metabolomics and lipidomics in individuals with STXBP1 disorder. 

Outside of school, I am actively involved in the Pharmacology and Toxicology Student Association, intramural basketball at St. Michaels College and CAUSE Tutoring. In my free time, I like to read and play video games. I look forward to working under Dr. Schmitt-Ulms while going through the Amgen Scholars program during the summer!