Fadi J. Najm PhD, MBA | Primary Investigator and Senior Research Scientist
Bio
Fadi is a Primary Investigator within the Gene Regulation Observatory at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard. In this role, he and his team design/execute functional genomics screens to identify actionable targets in cancer and immunotherapy. This involves staying on the cutting edge of the newest approaches, but also devising novel applications of existing technologies. Fadi got his start in 2009, when he joined the lab of Paul Tesar PhD at Case Western Reserve University to study induced pluripotent stem cells and neuroscience. His work centered on discovering small molecules that could treat multiple sclerosis and other neurodegenerative diseases, resulting in the start-up of Convelo Therapeutics. He completed his MBA at Case Western Reserve University and PhD training at Harvard Biological and Biomedical Sciences (BBS) in the laboratory of Bradley Bernstein MD PhD, where he studied synthetic lethality targets in cancer.
Hometown
Cleveland, OH
Hobbies
Biking, swimming, concerts, exploring new cities, finding the best ice cream
Favorite piece of lab equipment
The coffee machine – let’s face it, that’s what really fuels discovery.
Anna Cruz | Research Associate
Bio
In 2023, Anna joined the Najm Lab with the aim of expanding her knowledge regarding the use of genetic engineering tools for diverse applications. She is excited about utilizing and developing cutting edge technologies that lead towards potential therapeutic developments. More specifically, Anna is interested in employing novel approaches to reagent delivery, especially those involving viruses. Before joining the Najm Lab, Anna studied Biology and Spanish at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. There, she worked in the lab of Daniel Voytas, Ph.D., demonstrating heritable genomic modification through viral delivery of site-specific recombinases in Nicotiana benthamiana.
Hometown
Minneapolis, MN
Hobbies
Cooking & eating new foods, running, impulsive travel, singing, acquiring various random skills
Favorite piece of lab equipment
The -80°C freezer. It’s cool.
Amina Muhic | Research Associate
Bio
Amina joined the Najm Lab in 2024 hoping to investigate the role of regulatory mechanisms in complex diseases and explore how these mechanisms can be harnessed for therapeutic purposes. She is interested in using novel technologies and perturbation tools to functionally characterize regulatory elements and identify non-coding disease targets. Amina is particularly excited about integrating computational predictions with experimental validation to advance our understanding of these targets. Prior to joining the Najm Lab, Amina earned her BS in Genetics and Genomics from the University of California, Davis. While at Davis, she worked in the lab of Alexander Nord, PhD, where she conducted functional screenings of candidate neurodevelopmental enhancers using in vivo reporter assays in mice.
Hometown
San Jose, CA
Hobbies
Reading, taking long walks, watching documentaries, and crocheting
Favorite piece of lab equipment
The microcentrifuge; it’s always fun taking it for a little spin!
Emily Su PhD | Postdoctoral Fellow
Bio
Emily is a postdoctoral fellow in Jason Buenrostro’s lab within the Harvard Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology Department. She is working with the Najm lab to develop high-throughput, Cas9-based approaches to survey functional regulatory elements at a genome-wide scale and to further elucidate combinatorial transcription factor binding logic. She has a keen interest in computational biology, and hopes to develop complementary machine learning methods to aid in mapping regulatory control across dynamic cellular processes like differentiation.
Hometown
Chicago, IL
Hobbies
Snacking, drinking bubble tea, taking walks, the occasional hike, and watching drama series.
Favorite piece of lab equipment
A humble box of Parafilm. Satisfyingly stretchy.
Alumni
Molly M. Moore | Research Associate II | 2021-2023
Moved on to the graduate program at Harvard Biological and Biomedical Sciences (BBS).
Alejandro Collins | Research Associate II | 2022-2024
Moved on to the graduate program at UC Berkeley.
