Stem Cell Researcher

Summary

A Biotechnologist with a unique combination of experience in discovering a novel stem cell line and developing unique neuro-protective drugs paired with an innate curiosity about the Biotech industry looking for an opportunity to positively impact the organization while expanding my knowledge base.

Education

Master of Biotechnology, University of Pennsylvania, May 2011 CGPA: 3.80/4.0

School of Engineering and Applied Science, Philadelphia.

Relevant Coursework: Fundamental of Pharmaceuticals, Tissue Engineering, Molecular Genetics, Drug Discovery and Development, Cell and Molecular Biology, Statistics for Biologists, Immunology and Toxicology, Analytical Biochemistry.

Bachelor of Technology, Bioinformatics May 2009 CGPA: 8.70/10

Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT) University, Vellore. Tamil Nadu, India

Professional Experience

Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Stem Cell core facility, Philadelphia Jan 2012 – present

Research tech II

Involved in the discovery of a novel stem cell line termed as human Endoderm Progenitor Cells (EPC’s).

Developed a protocol to generate insulin-producing β cells, which show the best response to glucose stimulation in mice with an 18% reduction in costs compared to protocols developed by other labs and companies focusing on diabetes research putting us a step closer to developing a cure for diabetes.

Generated EPC’s from fibroblasts using lentiviral vectors with transcription factors and detected crucial genes involved in the process which resulted in a 6 month reduction in turnover time and drove the project towards in-vivo testing.

Generated induced pluripotent stem cell (iPS) lines from patients suffering with various genetic disorders, with the final goal of understanding disease physiology and finding potential cures using gene therapy.

Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia Jan 2010 – May 2011

Research Assistant

Discovered potential neuro-protective drugs through extensive study of HIV infection and its role in Neurological disorders.

Successfully implicated 2 proteins which play a critical role in neuronal damage due to interaction with HIV virus and determined their effects in triggering apoptosis of neurons and astrocytes in important regions of the brain.

Developed assays for detecting and quantifying expression of various genes over-expressed in damaged neurons leading to a detailed understanding of pathways involved in this process.

Participated in neuro-protection trials within the Penn AIDS Clinical Trials Unit to determine the efficacy and toxicity of 3 drugs.

Penn Biotech Group Sept 2010- May2011

Consultant

Selected to be a part of the prestigious PBG consulting group.

Involved in pricing analysis, market research and competitor identification for a company with a deep brain stimulation device in phase II clinical trials.

Proposed to the co-founders ways to differentiate the product from the competition and a way to potentially increase market share by 10%.

National Institute for Research in Reproductive Health, Mumbai, India May 2007 - July2007

Summer Trainee

Determined the adverse effects of bisphenol A (BPA) present in plastic bottles and quantified the toxic effects of BPA and its derivatives in mice.

Acquired a solid grasp of basic molecular biology techniques like PCR’s, cell culture, immunohistochemistry and cloning.

Professional Summary

Research Aptitude: Have displayed an inclination to constantly use novel methods to answer interesting questions in science and learning new techniques by attending various conferences such as the and interacting with experienced scientists

People and Communication Skills: Showcased exceptional skills in various paper and poster presentations for communicating results. Excelled at working in teams to drive projects and achieve faster and better results.

Strategy and Business Development Aptitude: Highlighted by participation in various consulting projects and courses such as Engineering Entrepreneurship and Corporate Finance, resulting from a passion for understanding the strategic aspects of the Biotech industry.

Result-Driven Focus: Demonstrated a result-driven rationale in every project completed, exemplified by results accomplished and proposals made during multiple projects pursued.

Leadership and Awards

Scholarship for excellent academic performance awarded by Vellore Institute of Technology 2005/06, 2006/07 and 2007/08.

Captained and coached soccer teams at college level and for the CASA league in Philadelphia.

Techniques and Software skills

Human stem cell culture, Q-PCR, lentivirus production, cloning, southern blots, Flow cytometry (FACS), FlowJo, DNA/RNA isolation, Immunohistochemistry, ELISA, western blots, tissue culture & PCR, DNA sequencing, PERL, Python, BLAST.

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