Hari Balasubramanian
Program: Master of Science in Regenerative Medicine and Entrepreneurship
Internship: Trailhead Biosystems (Beachwood, Ohio)
Before this summer, Hari Balasubramanian viewed science mostly through an academic lens: experiments, data, and long days in the lab. But that perspective has shifted during his internship at Trailhead Biosystems, where he’s getting a firsthand look at how biotech companies bring scientific discoveries to life.
“This internship has taught me that there’s more to [lab work] than meets the eye,” he explained. “Be it prioritizing projects, product launches, following strict deadlines, or how different departments work together to move a product forward.”
He is part of the research and development team at Trailhead, a company focused on differentiating human-induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) into specialized cell types at scale for drug discovery, disease modeling, and cell therapy. His work centers on endodermal lineages, including protocols for differentiating iPSCs into pancreatic progenitor cells.
In his internship, he’s been performing the in-house cell differentiation protocols for pancreatic progenitor cells, freezing and thawing of cells, quality control (QC) assays such as qPCR, immunocytochemistry (ICC), and flow cytometry to study the changes in these cells at a molecular level with each stage of differentiation.
It’s his first role in the industry—and a key step in his education. He’s pursuing a Master of Science in Regenerative Medicine and Entrepreneurship at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, a program that bridges cutting-edge science with the business skills needed to bring therapies to market.
Earlier this year, he earned third place in CWRU’s inaugural spring poster symposium for master’s students—an early sign of his growing interest in translational research. Still, he emphasized that finding meaningful opportunities often comes down to building relationships.
“Networking is key; most job or internship opportunities aren’t advertised on job boards,” he said. “I got this opportunity through an internal referral. That’s why every conversation matters; the next person you connect with could be your future employer.”
For him, that outreach has paid off—not just in experience, but in a deeper understanding of where science and entrepreneurship can take him next.
Read more about other CWRU student internships in The Daily.