Title: Research Specialist
Company: Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California
Education: PhD in Biotechnology, CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology; MS in Biotechnology, Amity University (2006); BS in Life Sciences, Sri Venkateswara College, University of Delhi (2004)
Career History: Research Specialist, Senior Research Associate, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California (2022-Present)
Dr. Kartik Soni, Research Specialist at the Keck School of Medicine within the University of Southern California, has been recognized as a Marquis Emerging Leader for their contributions and achievements in the field of sciences.
Naturally inquisitive and science-minded from a young age, Dr. Soni has always been curious about understanding the biology of things—which has culminated in the launch of an exciting career as a research specialist and a senior research associate in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at the Keck School of Medicine within the University of South California. Since 2022, he has utilized his lifetime curiosity and strong educational background to focus predominantly on stem cell research; among his many responsibilities within his role, he independently manages three different projects in a laboratory, mentors students, develops research projects and designs experiments, writes manuscripts for publications in the field, and speaks on his areas of expertise at academic conferences.
Born and raised in India, Dr. Soni earned a Bachelor of Science in life sciences from Sri Venkateswara College within the University of Delhi in 2004 and then continued his education at Amity University, where he excelled and obtained a Master of Science in biotechnology in 2006. He subsequently pursued a Doctor of Philosophy in biotechnology from the CSIR-Institute of Genomics & Integrative Biology. During that time, he served as a research trainee at the Centre for Genomic Application and then became a senior research fellow at the Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology. He gained additional experience in his field as a specialist for F1000, an open research publisher for scientists, scholars, and clinical researchers, and then as a postdoctoral fellow for Institut Pasteur, an internationally renowned facility for biomedical research based in Paris, France, where he investigated the various genetic, cellular, and biological mechanisms involved in skeletal muscle stem cell maintenance, activation, and regeneration.
On top of his primary endeavors, Dr. Soni has contributed written works and research to SynBioNEWS since 2014 and papers on stem cells to Science Outreach Newsletters since 2013; his numerous research findings and write-ups have been published by Oxford University Press, Springer Nature, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., and ScienceDirect; and he has been active as a peer reviewer for a wide range of publications, including the European Journal of Molecular Biology, Advances in Genomics and Genetics, Research and Reports in Biochemistry, and Stem Cells and Cloning: Advances and Applications. He also founded the Science Outreach Blog, where he writes and posts research. Among his many accomplishments, he is proud to have garnered recognition as a remarkable academic, having accrued a Project Fellowship, a Senior Research Fellowship, and an International Travel Fellowship from the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research in 2006, 2009, and 2011, respectively, as well as a travel grant from the Department of Science and Technology in India.
Having recently relocated to the United States to assume his role at the University of Southern California, Dr. Soni strives to establish himself as a professional and publish his works in his new country. In addition, he wants to make new discoveries and ultimately advance into a senior position, through which he can mentor younger generations.