Tejas S. Athni

Tejas Athni is an undergraduate student at Stanford University, originally from Macon, Georgia.

Currently, he is a student researcher in the Department of Biochemistry at Stanford. Previously, Tejas has performed research in the neuro-oncology and plant biology fields at Karmanos Cancer Institute (Detroit, MI) and Fort Valley State University (Fort Valley, GA). He was a member of a research team developing a phytochemical treatment option for the glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) brain cancer, has worked to identify the biological reasons why two medicinal plants are going extinct in nature, and has instructed research programs for the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Through his research, Tejas has been recognized with numerous national and international awards, most notably the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) Neuroscience Research Prize. He has presented and discussed his research at various scientific conferences, pharmaceutical companies, and public speaking venues such as TEDxPeachtree.

Tejas is also a volunteer EMT with Stanford EMS and Santa Clara County, and has co-founded a community CPR education organization known as Perfusion. He enjoys playing on the ultimate frisbee team.

Tejas’ long-term goals include pursuing a career as a physician-scientist.