Maya Orzach (Levy) : Building Things for People

Also known as "Maya from Miami, it's catchy!"

🚀
Early Stage Startups
2020 - Present
Gensaic, AI Drug Discovery RA + ML Engineer
Cambridge, MA, 2022 - Present

Developing multifunctional RNA therapeutics for metabolic and age-related diseases using the FORGE platform, Functional Optimization by Recursive Genetic Evolution, integrating phage-display with generative AI. Collaboration with Novo Nordisk valued at up to $354M, targeting next-generation precision cardiometabolic therapies.

Immunai, Associate Scientist
New York, NY, 2021 - 2022

Executed end-to-end single-cell genomic screens to map the immune system for machine learning & AI drug discovery.

Serenno Medical Devices, Research & Development Intern
MIT-Israel MISTI Program, Summer 2020

Built a scientific tool to analyze clinical trial data for the Sentinel device, continuous, noninvasive kidney function monitoring. "Maya has been a great help to us. She is highly motivated, intelligent, and fun to work with. She is working on a scientific tool to analyze our clinical trial's data. The long-distance work is challenging, but Maya manages her tasks and schedule in the most professional way possible. I couldn't be prouder of her quick progress and learning skills." — Sagie Meshulam, VP of R&D MITMIT News

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AI
2024 - Present
Artificial Intelligence Engineer & Workshop Lead
MIT Sundai
Maya hacking at Sundai

At MIT Sundai, we ship and build artificial intelligence tools every single Sunday. We're a growing 3,000+ member community that focuses on rapid AI prototyping, education, and startup acceleration, having launched 250+ AI MVPs in 120+ weeks.

At Sundai, I've personally led a biotech-themed hack, upskilled my own AI expertise through over a dozen prototypes, and pitched ideas nearly every week in front of live audiences. Come join us as we build and tool every Sunday... at Sundai!

SundaiJoin Sundai
AI Workshops for Life Scientists & Clinicians
Harvard Business School, Boston Children's, Mass General

Led AI workshops for life scientists and clinicians at Harvard Business School, Boston Children's Hospital, and Massachusetts General Hospital. Helped over 80 people go from limited AI exposure to getting comfortable using AI applications in their day-to-day operations.

MIT
MIT
Biological Engineering, 2017 - 2021
Research
Weiss Lab of Synthetic Biology
Undergraduate Research Fellow

Studied cell-cell communication, pattern formation, and organogenesis. Worked under Ron Weiss, Deepak Mishra, Nika Shakiba, Jan Lonzaric, and Shiva Razavi.

MIT iGEM 2018 team
iGEM 2018
Fighting Cavities

Developed a preventative dental treatment inhibiting biofilm formation by developing a genetic logic gate, triggering an anti-plaque cascade. Won Bronze.

iGEMMIT iGEM 2018
MIT iGEM 2019 team
iGEM 2019
Engineering the Swarm

Ran a two-week synthetic biology bootcamp for incoming iGEM freshmen team, teaching cloning, mammalian cell culture, and circuit design from scratch. Won Gold.

iGEMMIT iGEM 2019
Miami
Miami
Krop Senior High School, FL
Published Research
Ex Vivo Minimally Invasive Artificial Pancreas Work

Built a non-invasive continuous glucose monitor to measure sugar in tears for patients with diabetes. Used FDA-validated analyses to determine clinical accuracy. Led both two years of clinical studies to evaluate the medical devices I built in my garage, testing tear and blood glucose levels across both diabetic as well as non-diabetic participants.

Presenting to the U.S. Surgeon General
← Presenting to U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy at Florida State Science Fair 2015
Maya with research poster and device at ISEF
Maya M. Levy & Yair Levy, January 2016
PaperSee Paper
Noninvasive tear-based glucose detection compared to capillary blood.
PaperSee Paper
2015 🥉 4th Place, Biomedical · Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, Pittsburgh, PA ISEFISEF 2015
2016 🥉 4th Place, Biomedical · Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, Phoenix, AZ ISEFISEF 2016
2017 Silver Knight Nominee, Science · Miami Herald
Theatre
Theatre & Community
at MIT
Founded 2020
LOST, Life on Stage Theatre

Founding exec member of MIT's premier contemporary student theater group. Non-musical plays, free to the Cambridge community. All skill levels, from the ground up.

"Maya Levy authored much of the group's constitution while on a GTL Italy trip." — lost.mit.edu MITLOST Exec Lore
Post-Grad
The 24-Hour T Ride

Co-wrote a play that was written, rehearsed, and performed in 24 hours.

"The spirit of MIT is to do things because you want to — even if they are pointless and especially if they are hard."
— Maya, interviewed by The Boston Globe
GlobeThe Boston Globe
Peer Health
Head MedLink of Simmons Hall Dorm

Led MIT's peer health advocate program, supporting student well-being and connecting people to campus resources.

Always
Science Communication Theatre Engineering for the Sake of Learning