Michael Rehman, PhD

Results-driven biomedical scientist with 15+ years of experience spanning oncology, fibrosis, renal disease (ADPKD), and cardiovascular biology. Expertise in CRISPR/Cas9 functional genomics, target identification and validation, high-throughput screening, and multi-omics analysis. Proven ability to develop translational disease models and generate actionable biological insights supporting therapeutic discovery programs.

Experienced in cross-functional collaboration with computational biology, pharmacology, and translational research teams. Published in high-impact journals including Nature Communications, JCI Insight, and Science.

Seeking Senior

Scientist opportunities in functional genomics, translational biology, and target discovery within biotech and pharmaceutical R&D.

Associate Research Scientist - Yale University - New Haven, CT

(2019-01)

Equivalent to Senior Scientist / Independent Investigator level in industry

• Developed novel 'acute CRISPR/Cas9' assay enabling high-efficiency, rapid gene editing in primary renal cells; methodology validated and reported in Wei et al., bioRxiv, 2025
• Identified transcription factor Glis2 as an early effector and therapeutic biomarker in ADPKD — led to Nature Communications first-author publication (2024); findings directly support target-based drug discovery strategies for rare kidney disease
• Designed and executed CRISPR/Cas9 functional genomic screens across renal cell models to identify and prioritize novel disease drivers for therapeutic intervention
• Collaborated with multi-PI teams and computational biology colleagues to integrate RNAseq, ATAC-seq, and Cut&Run datasets, translating complex omics outputs into actionable biological hypotheses
• Mentored graduate students and junior researchers in experimental design, data interpretation, and scientific writing; regularly presented research progress to internal and external stakeholders including grant review panels

Research Associate - Weill Cornell - New York, NY

(2019-01 - 2019-12)

• Established human lung organoid and primary basal cell differentiation platforms, expanding disease model capabilities for respiratory fibrosis research
• Analyzed human samples of IPF and COPD in air-liquid-interface (ALI) cultures

Research Associate - ICGEB - Trieste, Italy

(2016-01 - 2019-12)

• Led high-throughput screening campaign of 400+ compounds across cancer and pulmonary fibrosis models, identifying Haloperidol as a potent anti-fibrotic agent by hindering myofibroblast activation — published as first author in JCI Insight (2019)
• Characterized signaling crosstalk between cancer cells and tumor endothelial cells, advancing understanding of tumor microenvironment biology relevant to oncology drug targets; demonstrated cardioprotective effects of olive oil polyphenols on primary cardiomyocytes in combination with chemotherapy (Frontiers in Pharmacology, 2021)
• Collaborated with structural and molecular biology teams across institutions; presented findings at international conferences in Germany and Italy

Postdoctoral Researcher - IRCC — Candiolo Cancer Institute - Turin, Italy

(2012-01 - 2015-12)

• Demonstrated functional crosstalk between Notch and Semaphorin-Plexin signaling pathways in cancer cell models, contributing to the identification of novel therapeutic targets
• Characterized novel substrates of Rhomboid proteases with relevance to cancer progression
• Co-authored 2 peer-reviewed publications; contributed an invited review on semaphorin signaling in Seminars in Cell & Developmental Biology (2013)

PhD Researcher - Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry - Munich, Germany

(2007-01 - 2011-12)

• Performed quantitative SILAC-based proteomics to map protein interactomes; contributed to landmark studies on lysine acetylation published in Science (2009) and Nature Structural & Molecular Biology (2010, 2011)

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) - Biochemistry - Ludwig Maximilian University (2007-01 - 2011-12)

Master of Science - Biotechnology - Jamia Millia Islamia (2002-01 - 2004-12)

Bachelor of Science - Biosciences - Jamia Millia Islamia (1999-01 - 2002-12)