Samir is a PhD student in Bioengineering at UC San Diego. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Bioengineering and a Master's degree in Electrical Engineering from UCSD. His research focuses on combining neural engineering principles and semiconductor photonics to develop next generation retinal prostheses.

Before to returning to graduate school, Samir worked full time as a research engineer at biotech and medical device startups including Organovo, Inc. and Nanovision Biosciences. He is passionate about innovation and entrepreneurship, and is focused on translating benchtop research into commercial products.

Samir enjoys applying his startup experiences and critical thinking skills towards analyzing a variety of industry sectors. In his time at University Growth Fund he has worked on deals in sectors spanning on-demand services, biotechnology, enterprise SaaS, and healthcare.

Samir is passionate about science education and volunteers to promote interest in STEM at local San Diego schools. He is a travel enthusiast, marathon runner, and avid Lakers fan.