About me.

A BRIEF OVERVIEW

Hey there! My name is Vikram Raju, and I'm a senior at Cherry Creek High School interested in biomedical research, protein design, and neuroscience.

My research began with a project studying the evolutionary conservation of synaptotagmin-like protein 4 (Slp-4), which is involved in insulin secretion. There, I built the computational and biochemical intuition behind my independent project, Opi-Gone, a novel synthetic protein designed to prevent opioid addiction at its root biomolecular cause. To address addiction's human toll, I founded the Synapse initiative, which works to remove stigma surrounding addiction and distribute overdose prevention resources.

My journey to runner-up at the Scripps National Spelling Bee cultivated a deep appreciation of the English language, which I pass on to the next generation of spellers through my free SpellAPS.org curriculum for Aurora Public Schools students and Virtual Spelling Coaching for spellers in Ghana and Nigeria.

Who am I beyond the books? A Coloradan who loves hiking the Rockies with my family, friends, and our golden retriever Prince, photographing wildlife along the way. I'm also a hooper, a die-hard Denver Nuggets fan, a pianist, and a visual artist, sometimes playing my custom-composed music at Bollywood events I emcee.

Thanks for stopping by!

Vikram Raju