Proposal Development Office Team
Kiran Kocherlakota, PhD
Director
Dr. Kiran Kocherlakota received her PhD in Cell and Developmental Biology from Penn State University. Beyond her proficiency in laboratory techniques, Kiran has cultivated a keen interest in research administration, amassing valuable experience in this domain. She has provided budgetary, operational, and administrative oversight for various research centers and institutes. She has written and edited manuscripts, book chapters and grants. She has helped research faculty successfully compete for program funding from several major sponsors. In her role in the SoM Proposal Development Office, Kiran continues to help faculty members identify funding opportunities and prepare competitive grant proposals.
Heike Schmidlin, PhD
Proposal Development Specialist
Dr. Heike Schmidlin received a PhD in Immunobiology from the University of Amsterdam investigating gene regulation in human lymphocyte development. Following her degree, she worked for over 15 years as a life science industry professional with global pharmaceutical and consulting organizations, including innovation consultancy for biotechnology R&D, clinical operations management and medical advisory. Heike provides expert consultation for the development of grant proposals and in the past decade helped raise R&D funding for numerous life science and green tech innovation projects, through EU and US grants.
Amruta Bhate, PhD
Research Development Administrator
Drawing on a strong background in RNA biology and transgenic mouse models, Dr. Amruta Bhate has joined the team to leverage her expertise in proposal development and grant writing. Hailing from Mumbai, India, she earned her Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the University of Illinois. Her postdoctoral fellowship at Stanford University focused on unraveling the mysteries of A-to-I RNA editing in cancer. With a keen interest in science communication, Amruta has effectively conveyed her scientific findings to diverse audiences through her writing. She now utilizes her scientific knowledge, writing skills, and communication acumen to craft compelling grant proposals and secure funding for cutting-edge research projects. Excited to collaborate with interdisciplinary teams, Amruta looks forward to contributing to the advancement of innovative research that can have a positive impact on lives.
Jonah Park
Research Administrator
Jonah received his Bachelor’s degree in Education and in Art at the University of California, Irvine. His passions have always revolved around working with people and creating exceptional interactions with every individual he comes across. Jonah’s experience in administration and attention-to-detail provides a vital contribution to the smooth operation of the Proposal Development Office.