C haquettea Ma r ia Felton

Georgia State University 609

Monterey Circle

Department of Biology

Jonesboro, Georgia 30236

*** ***** **** ** *****

Cell: 678-***-****

Atlanta, Georgia 30303 Email:

acdn7w@r.postjobfree.com

Laboratory: 404-***-****

OBJECT I V E

To obtain a challenging and rewarding research and supervisory position that

enhances my scientific knowledge and experience. H ighly motivated, self-driven

and commit ted to quality work. Strong oral and writ ten communicator with

excellent time-management and priority-setting skills.

SUM MARY OF QUAL I F ICAT IONS

• Nine years of research experience in an academic laboratory setting,

demonstrating unsupervised proficiency in designing, applying and

optimizing scientific techniques/procedures for individual and group based

r esearch and protocol design, analyzing/ interpreting results and identifying

t he next step for experimental studies.

• Efficient in the preparation of statistical analyses, charts, graphs and

w r it ten and oral reports for local and national presentations.

• Proficient in statistical analyses using Microsoft Excel and GraphPad

P rism programs.

• Five years of laboratory teaching/instructional skills at the

u ndergraduate level.

• Two years of teaching experience for grades Pre-K through 12 th as a

G AANN fellow for Georgia State University’s Bio-Bus Program.

• Two years of laboratory experience in a professional laboratory setting,

conducting bacteriological and chemical testing for food and agriculture

p roducts to assure that current FDA regulations were met.

• Five years of supervisory experience to undergraduate and graduate

s tudents which included helping the students to master the steps of scientific

i nquiry, aiding in the design, execution and optimization of research projects,

and analyzing and presenting their data.

R ESEARCH AND TEC H N ICAL SK I L LS

• Hybridization techniques, including conducting Western blot analyses,

i mmunostaining and smFISH (single molecule Flourescence In-Situ

H ybridization)

• culturing and maintaining bacteria cells; culturing and hybridizing yeast

cells

• Microscopy: Compound and Fluorescent

• Molecular techniques: RNA interference; DNA, RNA, protein and plasmid

isolation, gel electrophoresis, DNA cloning, PCR analyses, t ransformation,

l igation, spectrophotometry

• Microarray Analysis

• Real-t ime quanti tative PCR, reverse t ranscription

• Behavioral and drug analyses related to neuronal function, dopamine

signaling, regulation and reception and the oxidative stress response in C.

elegans

E DUCAT IO N

Georgia State University, A tlanta, GA

A ugust 2007- May 2014, PhD Candidate, M olecular Genetics & Biochemistry

Advisor: D r. Casonya M. Johnson, PhD

Morgan State University, Baltimore, MD

B.S., Biology, May 2004

F E L LOWSH I PS

Georgia State University

• January 2012-present, G raduate Assistant in Areas of National Need

( GAANN) Fellowship

o Gained an enhanced capacity for teaching science to underrepresented

children in the city of Atlanta and surrounding counties, grades Pre-K

t hrough 12.

o Taught through Georgia State University’s Bio-Bus Program, which is

a mobile laboratory that t ravels to schools and presents inqui ry based,

hands-on activities designed to teach and excite students about

science.

• August 2010- present, M olecular Basis of Disease (MBD) Fellowship

o Provided with opportunities to enhance knowledge in

i nterdisciplinary research, including Biology, Chemistry, Physics and

Astronomy, Computer Science, Mathematics and Statistics and

Computer Information Systems.

o Included bi-monthly seminars and annual conferences.

o Provided with opportunities to receive t ravel awards and extra

f unding for interdisciplinary research at Georgia State University.

AWARDS

Georgia State University

• June 2013, 2nd P lace Oral Presentation, MBD Graduate Research Day,

A tlanta,GA

• May 2012, 1st P lace Overall Poster Award, MBD Graduate Research Day,

A tlanta, GA

• June 2011, 2nd P lace Poster Award, International C. elegans Meeting, Los

A ngeles, CA

Morgan State University

• 2000-2002 Beta-Kappa Chi Honor Society

• 2000-2002, 2004 Dean’s List

T EACH I NG & M E N TOR I NG EXPER I E NCE

Georgia State University

• 2012-2014, B io-Bus Fellow

Led classroom based experiments to school age children grade levels Pre-

K through 12th

Labs included Animal Diversity, Geoscience, Chemistry: Acids and Bases,

Chemistry: States of Mat ter, Biotechnology: Forensics, Medicinal Plants,

W iggle Your Way and The Heart & Your Health

Responsible for prepping labs which included making all solutions,

m aintaining lab stocks and gathering all materials needed to conduct the

experiments

• 2012-2013, I nt roductory Biology

Responsible for presenting background information needed to conduct lab

experiments and for grading quizzes and tests

Led lab experiments which included the following topics: Animal

D iversity, Plant Diversity, Histology, Cardiovascular System, Respiration

and Reproduction & Development

• 2012, P hage Genomics, Guest Lecturer, “How to Present Poster/Oral

P resentations”

Gave a presentation to prep students to present their research at the

Georgia State University Annual Undergrad Research Day and at the

H H M I Janelia Farms campus to other members of the SEA cohort

• 2011, M olecular and Cellular Biology

Responsible for making int roductory/background lectures for class

experiments, constructing and grading lab quizzes and providing

available office hours for outside help for lab related lessons

Led students in group-based experiments which demonstrated techniques

and concepts in molecular biology including restriction enzyme digestion,

gel electrophoresis, protein extraction and purification and spectroscopy

• 2010-2011, P hage Genomics, Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HH M I)

sponsored

Science Education Alliance (SEA) PHAGE project allowed students to

isolate, name, sequence and characterize mycobacteriophages

Responsible for doing all necessary prep work for students to conduct

t heir research including making media, sterilizing inst ruments and

collecting and maintaining mycobacterium samples

Aided students in the development of initial hypotheses, optimization of a

r esearch plan, analyzing results and developing critical thinking skills

• 2009-2011, B io-Tech Scholars Mentor

Provided guidance, assistance, lab-related tutoring and general research

counseling to two undergraduate students in the Biotechnology Scholars

p rogram

R ESEARCH EXPER I E NCE

Graduate

2008- Present, Georgia State University, A tlanta, GA

Molecular Genetics Lab, Dr. Casonya Johnson, PhD

• My dissertation work focused on characterizing a member of the bHLH (basic

Helix-Loop-Helix t ranscription factor family, H L H-17, in C. elegans.

• Identified H L H-17 as playing a role in the dopamine signaling pathway

t hrough its regulation of the dopamine reuptake t ransporter, dat-1, and the

D1-like and D2-like dopamine receptor genes, dop-1 and dop-3.

• Conducted behavioral and drug analyses, to isolate the neuronal role of H L H-

17 within the cephalic sheath cells of the dopaminergic neurons.

• Conducted microscopy studies which included GFP antibody staining and

smFISH in an effort to determine if H L H-17 is in fact directly regulating the

expression of some of the main players in the dopamine signaling pathway.

U ndergraduate

2003- 2004, M organ State University, Baltimore, MD

M icrobiology Lab, Dr. Aiah Gbakimah, PhD

• mosquito DNA extractions, PCR amplification, ICT antigen tests

2003, Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC), E dgewater, MD

Protistan Ecology Lab, Dr. Wayne Coats, PhD

P roject Title: T he Alleopathic In teractions between K arlodinium micrum and

A meobophyra sp.

• Collected water samples from the Chesapeake Bay

• Used a confocal microscope to identify and isolate the dinoflagellate, K.

m icrum and the parasite which infects them, A meobophrya sp.

• Calculated infection rates of host dinoflagellates and their parasites

PROFESSIONAL ASSOC IAT IONS

Genetics Society of America (GSA) June 2010-present

ORAL PRESENTAT IO NS

“HL H-17 Regulates Dopamine Responses in Caenorhabditis elegans” Georgia State

U niversity, Molecular Basis of Disease Graduate Research Day, June 2013

“HL H-17 Regulates the DA Signaling Pathway in C. elegans”, Emory University,

Caenorhabditis elegans A tlanta-Based Worm Club, Oct. 2012

“Genetic Expression of H L H-17 in C. elegans” Emory University, Caenorhabditis

elegans A tlanta-Based Worm Club, Jan. 2009.

“HL H-17 and Neuronal Development in C. elegans” Georgia State University,

Cellular and Molecular Biology Journal Club, Feb. 2009

POSTER PRESENTAT IONS

Felton, C. and Johnson C. H L H-17 Modulates Extracellular Dopamine Levels in

Caenorhabditis elegans. In ternational C. elegans Meeting, June 2013

Felton, C. and Johnson C. H L H-17 Affects Longevity in C. elegans. Molecular Basis

of Disease Graduate Research Day, Atlanta, GA, June 2012.

F elton, C and Johnson C. H L H-17 Affects Dopamine Signaling in C. elegans.

I nternational C. elegans Meeting, Los Angeles, CA, June 2011

Felton, C. and Johnson C. The Oxidative Stress Response is regulated by H L H-17 in

C. elegans. Emory University, Atlanta, GA, November 2010.

Felton, C. and Johnson C. Genetic Characterization of H L H-17 in C. elegans.

Georgia State University Graduate Research Symposuim, Atlanta, GA, June 2009.

PEE R-REV I EWED P UBL ICAT IONS

Felton CM and Johnson CM. The oxidative stress response and longevity is

mediated by the dopaminergic neuronal regulator, H L H-17 in C. elegans. In

p reparation.

Felton CM and Johnson CM. The C. elegans O lig homolog H L H-17 regulates genes

required to modulate extracellular dopamine levels. G3. In review.

Felton CM and Johnson CM. Modulation of dopamine-dependent behaviors by the

Caenorhabditis elegans O lig homolog H L H-17. J Neurosci Res. 2011 Oct; 89(10):1627-

36

REF ERENCES

Available upon request

Contact this candidate