Anujan Ramesh
At Pacific Since: 2026
Anujan Ramesh, PhD, MBA earned his bachelor of science in bioengineering from Shanmugha Arts, Science, Technology and Research Academy (SASTRA) Deemed University in India. He earned his doctor of philosophy in biomedical engineering and master of business administration from University of Massachusetts Amherst. He completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard University.
Growing up in India, Dr. Ramesh was exposed early on to significant health disparities and limited access to advanced medical care. Seeing how access to effective therapies could profoundly impact patient outcomes inspired him to pursue a career dedicated to advancing health care equity. This journey led him to biomedical engineering and pharmaceutical sciences, which combines science, engineering and medicine to develop advanced therapies. Dr. Ramesh is passionate about translating lab discoveries into real-world solutions that reach patients who need them most.
Beyond academia, he has co-founded and advised multiple biotech ventures spanning oncology diagnostics, siRNA therapeutics and regenerative medicine, contributing to preclinical strategy and technology development. His work has been recognized through honors including the PhRMA Foundation Faculty Starter Grant in Drug Delivery, the Society for Biomaterials Outstanding Research Award, the Western Massachusetts Health Technology Challenge Award and the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) Career Development Award.
What drew Dr. Ramesh to Pacific was the people and the culture. The commitment of faculty and staff to mentoring and supporting student success aligns with his approach to teaching and research. Further, Pacific’s emphasis on interdisciplinary collaboration creates an environment that fosters innovation.
Dr. Ramesh is a member of BMES, Controlled Release Society, American Association of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Society for Biomaterials.
He enjoys rock climbing and playing tennis as well as kickboxing and mixed martial arts. Dr. Ramesh is trilingual and at home he and his wife converse in three different languages.
BS in Bioengineering, SASTRA Deemed University, India
PhD in Biomedical Engineering, University of Massachusetts Amherst
MBA, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Postdoctoral Fellow, Harvard University
Teaching Philosophy
“My teaching philosophy is grounded in a bench-to-bedside approach, emphasizing how fundamental scientific concepts translate into real therapeutic solutions that impact patient care. I focus on teaching core principles with clarity while integrating real-world examples from drug development and translational research to connect theory to practice, from molecular concepts to clinical application.”
Research Summary
“I develop biomaterials that improve how therapeutics are delivered in the body, making treatments more effective and easier for patients.”
Research Interests
- Drug delivery systems
- Ionic liquids
- Biologics
- Immunology
Scholarly Activity
Grants
$100,000 Faculty Starter grant from the PhRMA Foundation for the proposal “Electrostatically Crosslinked Protein Ionogels for Sustained Drug Delivery.”
Co-Principle Investigator, $399,635 NIH/NIDCR SBIR Phase I Award for the proposal “1,3-Thioureas as First in Class Mitochondrial Inhibitors to Treat Oral Cancer,” 2024–2025.
