Assistant Medical

Shweta Tharkar

702-***-**** + acb5fd@r.postjobfree.com

**** ***** **. *** *****, NV 89108

Summary

Strong background in Molecular Biology, Biochemistry & Mouse xenograft

model

Experienced in Laboratory management and Lab set up.

Proficient in Image J, Graph Pad & Power lab and Microsoft office

applications

Professional Experience

2013 - Present, Biological Technician at True Cells LLC, Las Vegas, Nevada

. Isolation and characterization of circulating tumor cells (CTCs)

. Optimize culture conditions for circulating tumor cells (CTCs) colony

growth.

. Isolation and analysis of cellular DNA and RNA.

. Enzyme and protein assays

. Immunostaining, flow Cytometry, Fluorescent and digital microscopy.

2007 - 2011, As Research Assistant II in Dept. of Melanoma, Nevada Cancer

Institute, Las Vegas

Research Area:

. Long term sterile cultures of hybridomas and tumor lines, in

vivo tumor experiments.

. Specimen preparation and analysis of DNA methylation from

clinical trials using dectabine.

. In vitro T-cell and NK cell Cytotoxicity assays.

. Evaluate the effects of immunotherapy on brain water& other

tissues using MRI & evaluating results.

. Looking at behavioral changes during IL-2 treatment using

auto track instrumentation.

Evaluating static, horizontal, vertical and ambulatory

movement, evaluating coordination and

balance using a roto rod system pre and post IL-2

treatment.

. Evaluating the effects of inhibitors on vascular leak and

hypotension in IL-2 treated mice using

Stoelting/ Power lab blood pressure instrumentation and radio labeled

protein tracking.

. Endothelial cell cultures and evaluation of eNOS, adhesion

receptor and cytoskeleton protein function.

. Development, isolation & analysis of circulating tumor

cells.

. Immunotherapy.

. Maintain various cancer cell lines, process samples for Flow

Cytometry.

. Keeping inventory and ordering lab supplies and equipment,

as well as training new employee.

05/2005 - 10/2005, As Research Assistant at University of Nevada Las Vegas

Research Area:

. Grow tissue

culture and

maintain various

cancer lines,

prepare samples

for Flow

Cytometry, work

with heat shock protein 27, prepare standard solutions, collect

data.

Skills

. Molecular and cell biology techniques:

Genotyping, Quantitative RT-PCR, Western blotting,

Immunoprecipitation analysis (IP), ELISA, Plasmid

extraction, genomic DNA & RNA extraction and Recombinant protein

expression and purification.

. Animal Model:

Tail vein, IP & subcutaneous injections, looking at behavior

changes using auto track instrument, Isolation &

culturing of tissues, evaluate the effects of immunotherapy on

brain water & other tissues using MRI,

Tumor assay, Implanting drug pumps and blood collection.

. Basic laboratory skills:

Tissue culture, maintain cancer cell line, Spheroid and

methylcellulose cultures, immuno-fluorescence staining,

Cytocentrifuge, Extraction of proteins, Development, isolation

and culture of circulating tumor cells,

calibration of methods & Instruments.

. Computer:

Proficient in Word, Excel, Power point, Graph Pad,

Image J, Power Lab.

Publications

. Wolfram E. Samlowski, John R. Mcgregor, Suzanne T.

Samlowski, Shweta Tharkar, Shirley Shen, Joel S. Bentz.

2014 Growth of Melanoma circulating tumor cell derived colonies from

peripheral blood: Preliminary

characterization of colony composition - In press

. Sreekanth Donepudi, Susan A. Reisinger, John R. McGregor,

Shweta Tharkar, Suzanne Samlowski, Daniel

Ostler, Shirley Shen, Wolfram E. Samlowski. 2013 Circulating Tumor

Cell Cultures as a Predictive Marker during

Salvage Therapy of Refractory Merkel Cell Carcinoma with Chemotherapy

and Electron Beam Radiation -

Journal of Cancer Therapy (JCT). Vol.4 No.7

. John R. McGregor, Wolfram E. Samlowski, Shweta Tharkar,

Sreekanth Donepudi, Soldano Ferrone.2012.

Isolation and expansion of circulating tumor cells (CTC) from

melanoma patients using a novel cell culture

Technique - J Clin Oncol 30 (suppl; abstr 10614)

. Samlowski WE, Kondapaneni M, John R McGregor, MT (ASCP);

Shweta Tharkar, MS; Victor Laubach, PhD.

2011. Endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) is a key mediator of

interleukin-2 (IL-2 induced) Hypotension

and vascular leak syndrome - Journal of Immunotherapy. 34:419-27

. Elwell Kyler E., Hall Casey, Tharkar Shweta, Giraud Yvonne,

Bennett Byron, Bae Chulsung and Carper Stephen

W.2006. A Fluorine containing bipyridine cisplatin analog is

more effective than cisplatin at inducing

Apoptosis in cancer cell lines- Bioorganic and Medicinal

Chemistry. 14(24):8692-700.

Education

1998 - 2002 Masters of Science (Medical Biochemistry), B. J. Medical

College, Pune University, India

1995 - 1998 Bachelor of Science (Zoology), Nowrosjee Wadia College, Pune

University, India

Trained at

HAZMAT

Radiation Safety

Animal Work

MRI Safety

Autoclave Safety

Reference

Available upon request

Contact this candidate