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About
Ami Thakrar is an Associate at RA Capital Management in Boston, MA, where she works within the TechAtlas division. In this role, she is responsible for supporting the firm’s investment research and strategy development, with a focus on scientific and clinical landscape analysis to identify and assess opportunities in the life sciences sector. Her work primarily spans biotechnology and pharmaceuticals, leveraging her scientific expertise to guide investment decisions in cutting-edge therapeutics and medical technologies.
Prior to joining RA Capital, Ami pursued advanced research as a PhD candidate in Medical Engineering and Medical Physics through the Harvard-MIT Health Sciences and Technology program, where she specialized in biomedical innovation. She also held a senior business development position at Harvard University’s Office of Technology Development, focusing on technology commercialization and partnership development within the academic life sciences ecosystem.
Ami holds a PhD from both MIT and Harvard Medical School in Medical Engineering & Medical Physics, and a BS in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley. Her background combines rigorous technical research with business development, equipping her with unique insights into the translation of scientific discovery into investable healthcare assets.
Career History
| Organization | Role | Date Range | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| RA Capital Management | Associate | Sep 2025 to Present | — |
| Harvard University | Graduate Student Researcher | Harvard-MIT Health Sciences and Technology PhD candidate | Jan 2020 to Jun 2025 | Built new tools to push the spatial and temporal resolution limits of biological imaging. Cell signaling, cryo-biology, mechanical design + fabrication, high-pressure instrumentation, advanced imaging... |
| Harvard University | Senior Business Development Fellow | Office of Technology Development | Jul 2023 to May 2025 | — |
| RA Capital Management | Intern | Jun 2024 to Aug 2024 | Healthcare technology & services investments |
| Pear VC | Venture Fellow | Nov 2023 to May 2024 | Pre-seed and seed stage biotech investments |
| Mount Auburn Hospital | Medical Clerkship | Jun 2023 to Feb 2024 | Spent 12 weeks (June-July 2023, Jan-Feb 2024) in internal medicine and cardiology conducting patient physical exams and assisting with inpatient diagnoses and care decisions. Shadowed procedures acro... |
| University of California, Berkeley | Undergraduate Researcher | Fluorescent nanomaterials and biosensors | Aug 2016 to Jun 2019 | Developed new optical biosensors for measuring drug concentrations with the goal of improving clinical monitoring. PI: Prof. Markita Landry (Dept of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering) |
| Genentech | Campus Ambassador | Aug 2018 to May 2019 | Organized campus events + coffee chats to help bring Genentech's presence to UC Berkeley's campus |
| Genentech | Device Development Intern | Drug delivery device design | May 2018 to Aug 2018 | Created new methods and drug delivery device designs to minimize patient pain during ocular injections. My role involved mechanical design + testing, human factors engineering, and statistical analysi... |
| National Institute of Standards and Technology | Summer Research Fellow | Electrical biosensors and microfluidics | May 2017 to Aug 2017 | My work aimed to bring the precision of microwave-frequency electrical sensors to the worlds of rapid biomedical diagnostics and proteomic characterizations. Designed, fabricated, and optimized a port... |
| Procter & Gamble | R and D Engineering Intern | Digital data analytics for the Olay brand | May 2016 to Aug 2016 | Worked in Skincare Products Research. Created new workflows for digital data mining + analysis of online consumer data. Modeled quantified consumer opinions against market trends and product formulati... |
| University of California, Berkeley | Undergraduate Researcher | Device design for biological separations | Jan 2016 to May 2016 | Developed new methods for making gel electrophoresis smaller and faster than possible before. PI: Prof. Amy Herr (Dept of Bioengineering) |
| UC Santa Barbara | Summer Research Fellow | Fluorescent biosensors for neurochemistry | May 2015 to Aug 2015 | Developed a new biosensor using silver nanoclusters to detect dopamine concentrations in vitro. PI: Prof. Sumita Pennathur (Dept. of Mechanical Engineering). Fellowship through the U.S. Department of ... |
| UC Santa Barbara | Chemical Engineering Research Intern | Drug delivery | Jun 2014 to Aug 2014 | Investigated the effect of a nanoparticle's shape on its ability to enter and bind to brain endothelial cells with the goal of creating more effective targeted drug delivery solutions for the brain. P... |
| California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) | Summer Research Fellow | Genomics and embryogenesis | Jun 2013 to Aug 2013 | Genomics-focused research uncovering the roles of various genes in embryo creation in C. elegans. PI: Prof. Joel Rothman (Dept of of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology at UCSB) via a fello... |
Education
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Doctor of Philosophy - PhD, Medical Engineering & Medical Physics
2019 — 2025
Harvard Medical School
Doctor of Philosophy - PhD, Medical Engineering & Medical Physics
2019 — 2025
University of California, Berkeley
Bachelor of Science (B.S.), Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
2015 — 2019
Others at Ra Capital Management, L.P. (41)
| Name | Role | Location |
|---|---|---|
 | Associate | Boston, MA , United States |
A Alexander Becker | Senior Associate | Boston, MA , United States |
 | Associate | Cambridge, MA , United States |
 | Principal | New York, NY , United States |
| Associate | Boston, MA , United States | |
B Brian L | Analyst | Boston, MA , United States |
 | Principal | San Francisco, CA , United States |
D David Migl | Analyst | United States |
F Fuad Naser | Analyst | Boston, MA , United States |
 | Analyst | Boston, MA , United States |
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J John Brennan | Principal | Sirios Capital Management L P | Boston, MA , United States |
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