Avika is a graduate student in the lab. He grew up in Portage, Michigan, and graduated from Kalamazoo College in 2021 with a B.A. in Chemistry and a concentration in Biochemistry. At Kalamazoo College, he was a research assistant with Dr. Blakely Tresca and completed his senior thesis in the synthesis of novel peptoid-coumarin antibiotics. He also studied abroad in Perth, Australia. Outside of lab, Avika enjoys playing basketball and tennis, watching movies, and traveling.