Kimaya Bakhle is a second year DVM-PhD student at the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. After receiving her undergraduate degree from Purdue University, Kimaya spent a year doing research in the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine, studying alterations to the blood-brain barrier during formation of brain metastases and drug-metabolizing enzyme activity in dogs with bladder cancer.
These experiences led her to Cornell, where Kimaya has now completed her first year of veterinary school and her three PhD laboratory rotations. She spent her first rotation in the Van de Walle Lab, where she identified potential microRNA biomarkers of breast cancer using mammary stem and progenitor cells from six species. In the future, Kimaya hopes to use her background in veterinary medicine and cancer biology research to improve outcomes for animals and humans with cancer.