Deepika Balakrishna

About Deepika Balakrishna

I specialize in in vitro pharmacology and have a proven track record in developing and playing a pivotal role in the development of functional and mechanistic in vitro and ex vivo cell-based assays for drug discovery. My expertise spans liver fibrosis, cardiovascular, diabetes/metabolic diseases, and cancer therapeutics. My work contributed to key stage gate decisions and providing preclinical rationale for therapies and in advancing small molecules and biologics and siRNA, through the drug discovery pipeline, from project initiation to candidate nomination.I am an innovative and adaptable scientist with a love for research and drug development. I am a dedicated team player with exceptional organizational, interpersonal, and communication skills. I thrive in collaborative environments, having successfully established internal and external partnerships.I am passionate about finding creative solutions to challenging problems and have demonstrated productivity both as an individual contributor and as a manager of junior scientists. My goal is to continue contributing to innovative research and development in the biopharmaceutical industry.

Experience

1. Senior Scientist

   Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine

   Apr 2026 — Present · US

Education

• University of Mysore

  Bachelor’s Degree, Microbiology, Biochemistry and Botany

  1991 — 1994

• University of Mysore, India

  Master’s Degree, Biotechnology

  1994 — 1996

Skills

• Protein Chemistry
• Pharmaceutical Industry
• Molecular Biology
• Target Validation
• Biologics
• Cell Culture
• Lifesciences
• Elisa
• Diabetes
• Drug Development
• Cancer
• In Vitro
• High Throughput Screening
• Drug Discovery
• Biotechnology
• Cell
• Life Sciences
• Medicinal Chemistry
• Cell Biology
• Biomarkers
• Assay Development
• In Vivo
• Cell Based Assays
• Small Molecules