Assistant Research

Divya Ravirala

**** ********* *********, ***# ***, Houston, TX, 77084

Tel: 832-***-****, 832-***-****. Email: *************@*****.***

Profile Research Scientist

Competent, well organised and dedicated Research Professional, educated to Masters Level,

with over 9 years of experience in Pharmaceutical/ Biotech Research fields. Possess a sound

working knowledge of a wide variety of laboratory techniques as well as working in full

compliance to GMP and GLP. Experienced in developing drug based, and cell based assays in

drug discovery particularly in the area of target characterization and compound testing.

Managerial experience includes assisting and guiding junior scientists and students.

Work Status: British National, eligible to work in USA (EAD).

PROFESSIONAL WORK EXPERIENCE

RENEURON, Guilford, UK, Jan 2012- July 2013.

Pioneering stem cell therapeutics in the UK.

Senior Scientist, Stem cell Biology.

• Involved in the development of stem cell therapies for disabled stroke patients and

Peripheral arterial disease.

• Formulating drug products and manufacturing drug substance lots as per SOP’s &

protocols.

• Involved in optimizing and developing cell based assays to determine the potency/

mode of action of stem cells in -vitro, viz: Angiogenesis, wound healing, Migration, Chemo

attractant, Glucose tox and immunomodulation assays.

• Experienced in a range of tissue culture techniques including 3D and Co-culture

systems.

• Determining therapeutic effects of Neural Progenitor stem cells by

immunomodulatory, differentiation and proliferation experiments.

• Investigating and determining the efficacy of extra cellular vesicles in-vitro.

• Maintained a high level of record keeping and communicated findings clearly and

effectively as written or oral presentations.

• Worked in compliance to GXP.

GLAXOSMITHKLINE, Stevenage, UK, July 2011- Nov 2011.

A British multinational pharmaceutical, biologics, vaccines and consumer healthcare

company.

Scientist I, EpiNova.

• Involved in validating and screening epigenetic targets for immuno-inflammatory

diseases.

• Evaluation of novel candidate compounds utilising a wide variety of in-vitro techniques

including human immune cell isolation and culture.

• Determining mechanistic pathways involved in the regulation of immune responses by

primary immune cell activation assays.

• Expertise in quantitative methods, such as Taqman PCR for measuring mRNA expression

or ELISA for cytokine quantification (MSD).

• Handling and analysing large data sets.

NOVARTIS, Horsham, UK, June 2009- July 2011.

A Swiss multinational pharmaceutical company.

Associate Scientist II, Gastro-Intestinal disease area.

• Involved in the investigation and target finding to Crohn’s disease.

• Established cloning strategy to make several constructs using Gateway technology

viz; pLENTI6, pUC19 etc and to establish stable cell lines.

• Generated and cloned plasmids into bacteria viz; Salmonella and E.coli

• Designed and optimized transfection assays, luciferase, gentamycin protection assays,

bacterial clearance assays.

• Developed the assay models to medium scale throughput-96 well format.

• Immunoassays (Conventional ELISA’s, MSD kits) have been performed on a regular

basis to show the effect of autophagy on Interleukin levels like the IL-1b, IL-8, IL-18.

• Performed Dose-response studies on potential agonists and antagonists of autophagy

in cytokine assays and analysed data on Prism.

• Investigated bacterial ligands to be the potential inducers of autophagy.

• Optimized LPS and bacterial ligand treatment over dose- response of candidates of

autophagy.

• SiRNA transfection assays have been developed to knock down proteins and analysed

data.

• Performed sub-cellular fractionation protocol to detect LC3 in mice tissues.

• Performed Immunoprecipitation for Mass spectrometry studies.

PFIZER, Sandwich, UK, June 2008- June 2009.

An American multinational and world’s largest research based Pharmaceutical Corporation.

Assay Development Scientist, Drug Discovery.

• Involved in various projects across Gastrointestinal & Hepatology, Biotherapeutics,

Chemistry in Discovery Biology.

• Involved in the investigation of the mechanism of action of novel HCV inhibitors.

• Designed and executed experiments to increase confidence in potential new targets for

treating HCV infection.

• Developed assays to support screening for new inhibitors of HCV. The screenings included

siRNA libraries, genome wide libraries, synthetically modified siRNA’s, chemically modified

siRNA’s, Anti-sense Oligos and shRNA .

• Involved in the creation of replicon libraries by random mutagenesis.

• HCV Replicon assay to screen compounds of interest and determining IC50 & CC50).

• Studied protein-RNA and protein-protein interactions using polarization experiments, IP &

Co-IP, screen.

• Performed Taqman assays to validate the assay & optimizing assays to be implemented in

HTS.

• Also involved in developing cell culture based assays to study the HCV protein and viral

interactions.

• Performed invitro transcription and translation assays to develop potential therapies against

Hepatitis.

• Actively participated in group meetings, team meetings, science forums, internal seminars

and conferences.

• Performed IPA’s, pharma matrix search, textmining to extract the findings in the literature and

to study the Host-pathogen interactions.

UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER, Manchester, UK, Apr 2007- June 2008.

A prestigious public research university in the UK.

Research Assistant, Developmental Biology.

• Involved in multiple projects – Developmental Biology, Evolutionary Biology and

Adhesion and Extracellular Matrix.

• Engaged in cancer cell biology and signalling research. Analysed and examined on Notch

pathway affecting the morphology of the mammary gland leading to cancer.

• Performed Genotyping, DNA extraction and amplification, Gel Electrophoresis,

sequencing techniques.

• Performed screening, isolation and mapping clones, restriction digestion, plasmid

construction, oligonucleotide hybridization; plasmid sub-cloning.

• Trained on COSHH, risk assessments, Fire safety, biohazard/radiation safety and UV

safety.

• Monitored inventory levels, orders materials and supplies in accordance with established

policies and procedures.

• Performed sensitivity test, susceptibility test, Competition Assays. Also worked on

biofilms and Pathogenic microorganisms (streptococcus pneumonia).

• Assisted and involved in various project works with research scholars and postdoctoral

research fellows.

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

SRR, KAKATIYA AND SVS DEGREE AND PG COLLGES, India, July 2004- Aug 2006.

Few prominent graduate schools.

POST GRADUATE LECTURER, Microbiology and Biotechnology Departments.

• Delivered lectures to the postgraduate students in Microbiology.

• Dealt with different areas in Microbiology especially Molecular Biology, Fermentation

Technology, Medical and Microbial Genetics and Recombinant DNA technology and

Microbial Biotechnology.

• Assisted in the preparation of scientific posters and conference papers.

• Worked in coordination with other collaborative universities

• Involved actively in departmental administration and teaching responsibilities.

• Assisted in maintaining laboratory equipment and supervised postgraduate students

EDUCATION AND QUALIFICATIONS

MSc, Microbiology, May 2004 - Kakatiya University, Warangal, INDIA. (Percentage=75%).

BSc, Industrial Microbiology, May 2002- Kakatiya University, Warangal, INDIA.

(Percentage=79%).

Post Graduate in Computer Applications, March 2002 - Institute of software solutions,

INDIA.

ADDITIONAL SKILLS

Analytical Skills

Electrophoresis, Blotting techniques, DNA isolation, Protein & enzyme isolations, Cell

culture, ELISA, siRNA tranfection, Plamid transfection, Immunocytochemistry,

Immunofluoroscence, Cell viability/cytotoxicity assays, ELISA, SDS-PAGE.

Instrumentation Skills

Have rich hands on experience on Taqman, PCR, HCS, Pherastar, Leed seeker, UV trans-

illuminator, cryostat, microtome, Microscopy (SEM, TEM, AFM and optical), Ultra & High

speed centrifuges, Gel documentation systems, High sensitive balances for weighing, UV &

Nano spectrophotometer, Electrophoresis apparatus.

Computer Skills

Computer literate in all packages of Microsoft Office – Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Vector

NTI, Ingenuity pathway Analysis, Pharmamatrix, Lab stats, Prism, Spotfire.

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