Sarvenaz Taghavi, PhD
Biotechnology Business Development Manager,
Australia and New Zealand
Thermo Fisher Scientific

Dr. Sarvenaz (Sarvy) Taghavi is a Business Development Manager for biotechnology companies at Thermo Fisher Scientific. She looks after researchers in the biotechnology industry, identifying their needs and requirements from research and development all the way to clinical trials, offering them the best solutions. Sarvy holds a Master’s in Infection and Immunity and a Doctor of Philosophy in blood cancer genetics from the University of Auckland, New Zealand. Her PhD research identified genes that contribute to the development of acute myeloid leukaemia using a murine model. This led to the discovery of new targets for blood cancer treatment. She has extensive experience with leukaemic and infectious murine models, general molecular biology, genome editing, sample preparation, library preparation for next generation sequencing, protein purification, protein analysis, cell culture, flow cytometry, and sorting. Prior to joining Thermo Fisher, Sarvy had many years of experience working in the lab, including as a post-doc, and worked at a flow cytometry core facility. 

Jay Bhandari, MSc
Research and Development Scientist, Molecular Biology
Texas, USA
Thermo Fisher Scientific

Jay has over 15 years of expertise in molecular biology research, having started his research career at Idaho State University, studying post-translational modification and its role in abiotic stress signalling mechanisms. He then followed his research interest in cancer biology at the University of Utah and investigated the chromosome repair mechanisms that cells use to escape the normal limits of growth when faced with unrepairable DNA damage, and was involved in studying biochemical pathways for measuring levels of R-loops and nucleic acid unwinding mechanisms. As a research and development scientist at Thermo Fisher Scientific, Jay is currently developing several sample preparation reagents and instruments for a variety of applications, with the goal of providing better solutions and enabling life science research.

Gurjeet Singh Kohli, PhD
Sample Preparation and Automation Technical Specialist,
Australia and New Zealand
Thermo Fisher Scientific

Dr. Gurjeet Singh Kohli is an experienced research scientist and technical sales specialist with extensive knowledge in molecular biology, genomics, and next-generation sequencing. At Thermo Fisher Scientific, Gurjeet currently manages the nucleic acid extraction and automation portfolio in Australia and New Zealand. He completed a Ph.D. at the University of New South Wales, where his research focused on developing molecular diagnostic tools for managing human illnesses. Prior to joining Thermo Fisher, Gurjeet held research positions at prestigious institutions including the Alfred Wegener Institute in Germany, Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, University of Technology Sydney, and University of New South Wales. His work has significantly contributed to the field of microbial meta-omics discovery, leading to over 40 peer-reviewed publications in journals of international repute.

Rachel Farquhar, PhD
Synthetic Biology Technical Specialist,
Australia and New Zealand
Thermo Fisher Scientific

Dr. Rachel Farquhar is a skilled researcher and technical sales specialist at Thermo Fisher Scientific, with a focus on synthetic biology. She holds a PhD in Immunology from Monash University, studying the impact of antigen presentation on autoimmune diseases with her work primarily focused on the molecular mechanisms of T-cell receptor recognition of CD1b presenting self lipid antigens.
Throughout this research, Rachel developed an extensive skill set in cell work, protein production, crystallisation and the structural determination and analysis of proteins. As a technical sales specialist, Rachel provides specialist advice on product selection, troubleshooting, and tailored solutions for Australian and New Zealander researchers in synthetic biology. She collaborates with research laboratories, biotechnology companies, and academic institutions to support their synthetic biology projects, varying from gene synthesis and editing to protein expression and analysis.