Raka Mitra, BSc (Hons), MSc

Raka began her PhD at the Gillies McIndoe Research Institute because she shares our goal to help improve patients’ lives and wanted to be part of our work in childhood birthmarks, vascular anomalies, and cancer research. 

Raka joined Gillies McIndoe in 2023 as a PhD student on the Max Lovie Scholarship, and is focusing on developing a 3D organoid model (lab-grown mini-organs) of Infantile haemangioma (strawberry birthmark). Her research will help us better understand the molecular pathways involved in developing and treating strawberry birthmarks and identify potential drug repurposing options that improve patient outcomes. 

Her other research interests include the molecular biology of cells, particularly tumour cells. Raka is fascinated by pre-clinical organoid models to better understand the cellular mechanisms and improve drug screening.

She is interested to explore more in the world of research with a focus on treatment approaches, using both 2D and 3D cell cultures to grow organoids.

Raka graduated with an Honours degree in Microbiology and a MSc degree in Cancer Biology from Kingston University, UK. She also completed an Advanced Course in Cancer Biology with the Molecular Paediatric Oncology research group at Lund University, Sweden. At Lund University she worked on drug screening in patient-derived xenograft organoids of neuroblastoma. 

Raka loves to spend time learning and reading both fiction and non-fiction, enjoys nature photography, star gazing and occasionally strumming her ukulele.