Design Assistant

Parul Benien

*** ********** ******, ***. *, Boston, MA 02115

Email: *****.******@*****.*** Ph: 857-***-****

EDUCATION

Master of Science, Pharmaceutics & Drug Design May 2013

MCPHS University, Boston, MA.

Master’s Thesis Title: “Hydrophobized triphenyl phosphonium derivatives for the preparation

of mitochondriotropic liposomes: Choice of hydrophobic anchor influences cytotoxicity but not

mitrochondriotropic effect.”

Bachelor of Pharmacy,

Delhi Institute Of Pharmaceutical Sciences And Research, June 2010

D.I.P.S.A.R., University Of Delhi, New Delhi, India.

TECHNICAL SKILLS

Cell culture, Flow cytometry, DNA extraction, PCR, PCR primer design, Restriction enzyme

digestion, Plasmid preparation, Transfection, Cloning, Dosing on mice and rat, Drug delivery,

Cancer, Cell viability assays, Cell and molecular biology, Nanotechnology, Fluorescence and

confocal microscopy, Bioconjugation, Agarose gel electrophoresis, Column Chromatography,

DSC, Aptamers, Mitochondria.

WORK EXPERIENCE

Graduate Student, August 2010-May 2013

MCPHS University, MA

Developing novel mitochondrial targeting ligands using bioconjugation of TPP with various

phospholipids, observing the conjugation reactions using TLC and NMR

Preparation and characterization of liposomes prepared with novel targeting ligands

Studying the cytotoxicity using MTS assay and subcellular of liposomes using confocal

microscopy, studying melting temperature of liposomes using DSC

Maintaining human and murine cancer cell lines, passaging and freezing cell lines

Monolayer and three-dimensional tissue culture

Modeling in vivo tumor microenvironment in vitro and studying the association of

nanocarriers in the presence of flow

Research Trainee, Cell Biology (DAAD RISE Pro Fellowship) July 2012-December 2012

BRAIN AIG, Zwingenberg, Germany

Designing RNA aptamers as cellular detection tools

Cloning of eukaryotic expression constructs (primer design, ligation, restriction digest, PCR,

agarose gel electrophoresis)

Microscopical analysis of the expressed EGFP in the various cloned constructs

Measuring the activity of TRPV1 receptor via calcium imaging using Flex station

Transient transfection and generation of stable HEK293B human cell lines

Cell sorting of HEK293B cells transfected with the constructs via FACS using Flow Cytometer

Research Trainee, Laboratory of Biomaterials and Nanomedicine May 2011-August 2011

Brigham Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA

PLG, PLG-PEG nanoparticle formulation by using single and double emulsion

Microscopic analysis of nanoparticles, Standardization of drug-loaded nanocarriers and

evaluation studies of drug-loading in nanoparticles.

Protein delivery using nanoparticles, studying protein release using dialysis and BCA assay

Teaching Assistant, August 2010-April 2012

MCPHS University, Boston, MA

Guiding and mentoring a group of 20-30 undergraduate students in the Pharmaceutics

Compounding laboratory.

Conducting review sessions on basic pharmaceutical formulations techniques.

PUBLICATION AND POSTER PRESENTATION

“Three-dimensional tumor models: History, advances and future prospects”, Benien P, Swami

A, Future Oncology, 2013 (In publication)

“Hydrophobized triphenyl phosphonium derivatives for the preparation of

mitochondriotropic liposomes: Choice of hydrophobic anchor influences cytotoxicity but not

mitrochondriotropic effect”, Benien P et al. (In publication)

“Ion – exchange resins transforming drug delivery systems”, Gupta S, Benien P, Sahoo PK;

Current Drug Delivery, Vol. 7, No. 3., pp. 252-262,2010.

"Improving Surgical Implants with polymeric nanotechnology: Tempo-spatial drug

delivery", Swami A, Bhatt N, Benien P, Karp J, Farokhzad O, Polymer day symposium MIT,

Boston, March 2013.

“Evaluation of a novel targeting ligand to prepare mitochondriotropic liposomes with

reduced cytotoxicity”, Benien P, Sheehan E, Wagle M, D’Souza G, 2012, Controlled Release

Society Conference (CRS), at Quebec City, Canada, July 14th, 2012.

“Development of a simple protocol to study the effect of fluid flow on nanocarrier

association with cancer cells in tissue culture”, Benien P, Solomon M, D’Souza G, 2011, AAPS-

NERDG Conference at Rocky Hill, CT, April 15th, 2011.

HONORS AND ACTIVITIES

DAAD RISE-PRO Fellowship (July 2012-December 2012).

Participated in the “Healthcare Leadership Development Seminar”, October 14, 2011, Boston,

MA.

Abstract reviewer for AAPS-National Biotechnology Conference, 2012.

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