Chemistry

Rashia Kniffen

Email: ********@*****.***

Cell: 845-***-****

Address: ** *** ******, ******, ** 06069

Executive Summary:

Highly motivated chemistry student with strong laboratory background seeking a challenging and rewarding position in the chemistry or pharmaceutical field.

Education:

Bachelor of Science in Chemistry - Clarkson University (August 2008 - May 2012)

GPA overall: 2.992 Dean's List: Spring 2011 & Spring 2012

Relevant Experience:

Diabetes and Chronic Kidney Disease Affect on Pha rmacokinetics of Monoclonal Antibodies Research, University at Buffalo (2013)

• Studied how type I I diabetes mellitus and chronic kidney disease affects the pharmacokinetics of monoclonal antibodies under advisement of Dr. Marilyn Morris.

• Since both of these diseases have high association with co-morbidities like heart disease, retinopathy, and neuropathy monoclonal antibodies may be necessary for various indications. I t has also been evaluated that certain monoclonal antibodies can be used for the treatment of these diseases. The effects of type I I diabetes mellitus and chronic kidney disease on the PK/PD of monoclonal antibodies though have not been well characterized.

• Zucker Diabetic Fatty rats as models for both diseases using human IgG in both IV and SC routes. Jugular cannulation surgeries were performed on ZDF rats and age-matched Zucker lean rats for IV injection. The rats were placed in metabolic cages during the period of the study, and blood and urine samples were taken. Blood samples were taken from the saphenous vein for both the IV and SC groups. Blood and urine samples were

t hen analyzed using a IgG ELISA kit. Glucose levels in the blood were also analyzed using a Vet Scan. Albumin and creatinine were analyzed using ELISA kits.

Undergraduate Thesis on Researching Aniproliferative Iron Chelators, Clarkson University (2011 - 2012)

• Under the advisement of Dr. Artem Melman.

• Iron excess or deficiency can be very harmful to the body and can lead to various conditions like, damage to the liver, heart, and endocrine system. Iron chelators have been studied and designed to remove iron from target organs and fluorescent chemosensors have been used to better determine iron levels in the body.

• This study looked at the fluorescent emission of iron cations using anthracene and pyrene ligands. The optimal excitation wavelength of the pyrene-anthracene complex with iron and the dependence of fluorescence upon changes in iron concentration were also determined. Solutions of pyrene with iron(II)acetate, anthracene with iron(II)acetate, and pyrene and anthracene combined with iron(II)acetate were prepared for the various factors

that were studied. Multiple concentrations of iron(II)acetate in the solutions were studied to account for varying iron concentrations in the body. The solutions were prepared in the presence of pH 7.0 MOPS buffer in order to more closely mimic biological pH.

• It was found that the optimal excitation wavelength of the pyrene-anthracene complex with iron occurs at 340nm. Fluorescence quenching occurred in the complexes as the iron concentration increased. For lower pyrene-anthracene concentrations, fluorescence intensity strongly decreased as the iron concentration increased. Further studies on the structure of pyrene-anthracene-iron complexes are needed to determine the reasons for this increased fluorescence sensitivity.

Internship: Goldsboro Milling Company, Goldsboro, NC (Summer 2009)

• Tested and analyzed multiple agents for correct balance of composition to determine the condition of a given product.

• Conducted tests on animal feeds, water, corn, yeast, and many other products for water content and NIR, alfatoxins, nitrate, nitrite, iron, potassium, sulfate, and sulfite concentrations.

• Gained experience in the use of NIR and other laboratory equipment in the workplace.

Spectroscopy Laboratory, Clarkson University (Fall 2009)

• Learned how to use UV-Vis, flame atomic absorption, graphite furnace atomic absorption, fluorescence, infrared, and NMR spectrometers to analyze various compounds.

• Learned how to analyze the graphs and data that was received from these tests. Created calibration, and Beer's law plots to determine the concentration of the analyte in the sample. Used the IR and NMR plots to determine the structure and type of compound that was in the sample.

Organic Chemistry Laboratory, Clarkson University (Fall 2010)

• Learned a variety of techniques used in organic chemistry and prepared a variety of chemicals using these techniques.

• Distillation of a variety of chemicals using three types of distillation techniques

• Extractions of acids and bases, and recrystallization of chemicals

• Multi-step lidocaine synthesis, and preparation of chemicals

• UV-Vis, IR, and NMR were used to analyze the samples and the structures and type of compound was determined using these techniques.

Instrumental Laboratory, Clarkson University (Spring 2011)

• Learned how to use gas chromatography, HPLC, potentiometry, cyclic voltammetry, and amperometry to analyze various compounds.

• Learned how to analyze the graphs and data that was received from these tests. The concentration, potential, the current, and the conductivity of the samples were determined. A conductivity meter, and fluorescence and UV-Vis spectrometers were also used to analyze the samples.

Advanced Laboratory, Clarkson University (Fall 2011)

• Learned how to synthesize polystyrene lattices using microemulsion polymerization and analyzed the effects of ATRP on the formation of styrene polymers and styrene-butyl acrylate copolymers.

• Learned how to synthesize sulfanilamide from nitrobenzene, synthesis of organic molecules via photo-reduction reactions, and synthesis of silica particles with tetraethyl orthosilicate and coating these particles with PVP.

• Learned how environmental conditions such as pH and solvent polarity affect the guest molecule pyrene in the microenviroment, and learned how the size of an alcohol molecule affects the micelle size.

• UV-Vis, infrared, NMR and fluorescence techniques were used to analyze the samples from these experiments.

Processes and Equipment:

• Knowledgeable with ELISA methods, various blood sampling techniques, and animal handling.

• Knowledgeable with Ultraviolet-Visible (UV-VIS), Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR), Infrared (IR), fluorescence spectrophotometers, Gas and Liquid Chromatography, and High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC).

• Familiar with Phoenix WinNonlin, ADAPT 5, Minitab, SAS, and SigmaPlot. Proficient in Microsoft Office word and excel.

Co-Curricular Activities:

• Society of Women Engineers, Professional Development Chair & Five-Societies Liaison (2010-2012)

• Crew Team, Clarkson University (2009-2010)

• Women in Science and Engineering, Clarkson University (2008-2010)

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