Arathi Krishnakumar

Scientific Associate Director at Bristol Myers Squibb

Speaker

Arathi Krishnakumar is an accomplished Associate Scientific Director with over 14 years of Industry experience including both Research and Biologics development, specializing in cell line engineering and multi-omics integration. Based in New Brunswick, NJ, Arathi leads innovation at the intersection of bioprocess development and systems biology to enhance CHO cell productivity and therapeutic protein quality.

With a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from Montana State University-Bozeman, Arathi brings deep expertise in bio-analytical, biochemical, and proteomics technologies. Her scientific journey spans structural biology, rational drug design, and proteomic profiling, including postdoctoral research on membrane protein structure-function relationships and receptor tyrosine kinases.

At Bristol Myers Squibb, Arathi has held progressive roles in R&D Proteomics and Global Upstream and Cell Line Development, where she has pioneered advanced cell line engineering strategies—such as targeted gene knock-in/knock-out, promoter modulation, and epigenetic tuning—to drive improvements in glycosylation control, titer enhancement, and clone stability.

Her systems-level approach integrates transcriptomics, metabolomics, and proteomics to inform clone selection, process design, and critical quality attribute (CQA) control. Arathi is recognized for her collaborative leadership in matrixed environments, her proactive mindset, and her commitment to continuous innovation in biologics manufacturing.