Kalpana Surendranath

I am the director and founder of the Gene Editors of the Future program. I lead the Genome Engineering Laboratory and co-leads the Medicines Diagnostics and Disease Models research group. I am a mentor on the London Higher Global Mentoring Program and is the recipient of the Vice-Chancellor’s WestminSTAR Award, Women of Westminster Award, and Individual Award for Academic Excellence. My research is centred on understanding the molecular mechanisms that underpin genome stability, gene regulation, and disease progression. My lab investigates the role of RNA binding proteins in post-transcriptional gene regulation and their emerging links to genomic instability in cancer. Using CRISPR-engineered cellular models, we explore vulnerabilities within the DNA damage response to identify potential therapeutic targets. We are also examining how environmental pollutants such as bisphenols and PFAS disrupt cellular processes and epigenetic regulation. In parallel, we are developing CRISPR-based diagnostic platforms to enable rapid, sensitive detection of nucleic acids for clinical and epidemiological applications. Through the “Gene Editors of the Future” initiative, I have efficiently embedded cutting-edge gene editing research within education, fostering innovation and skill development among young scientists