Bargavi Thyagarajan joined the Allen Institute for Brain Science in 2021 and serves as a Senior Scientific Project and Alliance Manager supporting the Genetic Tools portfolio of projects. Her work focuses on development of enhancer-driven adeno-associated viral (AAV) vectors and transgenic mice as tools for accessing specific cell types in the central nervous system. Bargavi partners with cross-functional scientific, operational, legal, finance and grants teams to plan and execute complex research initiatives from inception with responsibility for timelines, budgets, contracts, reporting and stakeholder communication.

Bargavi brings six years of experience in scientific project management and seven years of postdoctoral research experience across molecular biology, genetics, biochemistry, and genomics. Prior to joining the Allen Institute, she worked at Columbia University’s Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, where she supported the establishment of a virology laboratory within a neuroscience research group and managed research strategy, budgets, and infrastructure.

Earlier in her career, Bargavi worked at the Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise as a Science Officer, where she coordinated international collaborations, led major scientific programs, and managed large-scale conferences focused on HIV prevention research. She completed postdoctoral training at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center conducting fundamental research on influenza virus evolution.

Bargavi holds a Ph.D. in Oncological Sciences from the University of Utah and a Master’s degree in Biochemistry from the University of Madras. She is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) and is committed to advancing collaborative and cutting-edge team science research.