Varunika Bhargava is an Associate Program Officer for the Helmsley Charitable Trust’s Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) Program. She helps to assess and discover new technologies with the aim of easing the challenges for people living with the disease.

Most recently, Varunika worked at Regeneron Pharmaceuticals as a research and developmental specialist in the therapeutic proteins department. There, her work focused on immuno-oncology targets, identifying potential therapeutic antibodies, and the selection and process of lead molecules in early-stage discovery. Prior to Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Varunika gained experience at the Food and Drug Administration, where she studied novel disease models for tularemia and tuberculosis and researched indicators of vaccine efficacy to streamline drug development and treatment.

Varunika earned her Master of Science in molecular microbiology and immunology from Johns Hopkins University and a Bachelor of Science degree in microbiology from Oregon State University. In her free time, she enjoys playing tennis, hiking, traveling, and trying out new restaurants.