Having started her career as a neuroscientist, Aneesha Badrinarayan has made it her job to understand learning—from cells and circuits to people and systems. Currently, she serves as senior advisor at the Learning Policy Institute. Previously, she was the director for Special Projects and Initiatives at Achieve, Inc., where she helped states, districts, and educators consider what it takes to implement policy and practice that places the student at the center. Aneesha has led the charge to define assessment in the era of the "A Framework for K–12 Science Education" and NGSS.

A behavioral neuroscientist by training, Aneesha first discovered her passion for education as a science tutor and volunteer with 826michigan, a literacy nonprofit dedicated to elevating and empowering student voices. Prior to joining Achieve, Inc., Aneesha served as a museum educator at the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum in Michigan, where she fully internalized the joys of helping both teachers and students revel in the wonder of learning.

Aneesha received her B.A. in biology from Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. She received her master’s degree in neuroscience at the University of Michigan, where she served as a Rackham Regents Fellow and a Ruth L. Kirchstein Research Fellow through the National Institute for Mental Health.