Medical Assistant

Di Jia, Ph.D.

Vascular Biology Program, Boston Children’s Hospital

Department of Surgery, Harvard Medical School

12.007F, Karp Family Research Building

*** ******** ******, ******, ** 02115

Immigration Status: Permanent Resident of US

Cell: 765-***-**** Fax: 617-***-****

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

Summary of Qualifications

Passionate scientist with broad expertise in molecular biology / cell biology and extensive experience in

translating clinical observations into scientific research in order to find therapeutic and diagnostic tools

for human diseases. Lead a team effort to identify key processes in tumor angiogenesis and tumor

dormancy using cancer cell and primary cell based assays. Successfully managed multiple

collaborations with cross-functional teams of biologists, biostatistitians, and clinicians to discover

biomarkers for endometriosis. Demonstrated excellent scientific communication and presentation skills

in both research meetings and fundraising events. Mentored Harvard undergraduate student for his

honors thesis which received multiple prestigious awards.

Research Experience

Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Vascular Biology Program, Boston Children’s Hospital; Department of

Surgery, Harvard Medical School 2008-Present

Principle Investigator: Marsha A. Moses, Ph.D.

Deciphered the molecular mechanisms by which ZNF24 represses VEGF expression by

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combining molecular biology techniques and primary / cancer cell studies

Collaborated extensively with laboratories at Boston Children's Hospital and at

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University of Florida to identify the in vivo function of ZNF24 using animal models for breast

cancer tumor angiogenesis

Demonstrated the efficiency of targeted cancer drug delivery using nanoparticles in

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collaboration with Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences

Designed studies based on clinical data to identify novel non-invasive biomarkers for

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endometriosis with a multidisciplinary team of scientists and clinicians at Boston Children's

Hospital and Boston Center for Endometriosis

Mentored Harvard undergraduate student for his honors thesis which was awarded the

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prestigious Thomas T. Hoopes Prize, the highest honor for undergraduate thesis writing at

Harvard University

Supervised his thesis research work which was presented at 104th Annual Meeting of

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AACR and won honorary mention at the Eighth Annual Undergraduate Student Caucus and

Poster Competition

Graduate Research Fellow, Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University 2002-2008

Principle Investigator: Stephen F. Konieczny, Ph.D.

Dissertation: “Functional analysis of the bHLH transcription factor Mist1 during pancreatic development”

Discovered the growth inhibitory function of a bHLH transcription factor Mist1 in pancreatic

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cancer cells and identified the p21CIP1/WAF1 as the downstream target of Mist1

Lead a multidisciplinary team to identify Mist1 interacting proteins in pancreatic cancer cells by

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Mass-Spec analyses

Validated functions of Mist1 interacting proteins in regulating downstream target genes

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associated with pancreatic cell proliferation and differentiation using innovative approaches

Determined the in vivo function of Mist1 in pancreatic development and pancreatic cancer

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using genetically modified mouse models

Collaborated with scientists at School of Engineering at Purdue University to determine the

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optimal architecture of nanoparticles for siRNA drug delivery

Education

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Ph.D., Biochemistry and Molecular Biology/Biophysics 2008

Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN

Bachelor of Science, Biotechnology 2001

Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, China

Di Jia, Ph.D.

Technical Expertise

Molecular biology techniques: protein and nucleic acid isolation, characterization of protein-

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protein and protein-nucleic acid interactions

Molecular cloning techniques: generating mammalian & zebrafish expression vectors,

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lentiviral expression vectors and promoter luciferase constructs, mutagenesis, lentiviral production

Gene expression analyses: gene overexpression and knockdown using DNA transfection and

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viral delivery systems, RNAi, SyberGreen and Taqman based quantitative RT-PCR, luciferase

assays, chromatin immunoprecipitation assays, transcriptomic analyses

Immunological assays: immunoblot, ELISA assays, multiplex immunoassays, coimmuno-

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precipitation assays, Immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence staining

Enzyme-based assays: substrate gel electrophoresis

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Cell-based assays: cancer cell and primary cell culture, proliferation assays, FACS analyses,

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migration assays, invasion assays, cell fractionation and cell organelle isolation, generation of stable

cell lines

Imaging: light and fluorescent microscopy, Xenogen bioluminescence imaging

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Small animal techniques: zebrafish embryo microinjection, rodent subcutaneous and

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intraperitoneal injection, tissue harvesting and processing, animal models for breast

cancer tumor dormancy

Publications

Peer Reviewed Research Articles

Jia D., Huang L., Bischoff J., and Moses MA. An endogenous zinc finger transcription factor, ZNF24,

modulates the angiogenic potential of human microvascular endothelial cells. (In revision at FASEB

Journal)

Guo P, Huang J, Wang L, Jia D, Yang J, You J, Dillon D, Zurakowski D, Moses MA, and August DT.

Triple negative breast cancer specific targeted magnetic nanoparticles enhance tumor imaging. (In

revision at Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A.)

Guo P, You JO, Yang Y, Jia D, Moses MA., and Auguste DT. Inhibiting breast cancer cell migration via

multi-targeted siRNA delivery. (In Press at Molecular Pharmaceutics)

Jia D., Hasso S.M., Chan J., Filingeri D., D’Amore P. A., Rice L., Pampo C., Siemann D. W., Zurakowski

D., Rodig S. J., and Moses M.A. Transcriptional repression of VEGF by ZNF24: mechanistic studies

and vascular consequences in vivo. Blood. 2013 Jan 24;121(4):707-15. Featured as cover artwork.

Straume O, Shimamura T, Lampa M, Carretero J, Øyan A, Jia D, Borgman C, Downing S, Short S,

Kang SY, Watnick R, Chen L, Collett K, Bachmann I, Wong KK., Shapiro G, Kalland K, Folkman J,

Akslen L, and Naumov G. Suppression of Heat Shock Protein 27 induces long-term dormancy in

human breast cancer. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2012 May 29;109(22):8699-704.

Gary DJ, Lee H, Sharma R, Lee JS, Kim Y, Cui ZY, Jia D, Bowman VD., Chipman PR., Wan L, Zou

Y, Mao G, Park K, Herbert BS, Konieczny SF, and Won YY. Influence of Nano-Carrier

Architecture on in Vitro siRNA Delivery Performance and in Vivo Biodistribution: Polyplexes

vs Micelleplexes. ACS Nano. 2011 May 24;5(5):3493-505.

Jia D, Sun Y, and Konieczny SF. The bHLH transcription factor Mist1 modulates pancreatic acinar cell

proliferation through induction of p21CIP1/WAF1. Gastroenterology 2008 135: 1687-1697.

Tran T, Jia D, Sun Y, and Konieczny SF. The bHLH domain of Mist1 is sufficient to activate gene

transcription. Gene Expr. 2007 13: 241-53.

Liao C, Zhao M, Zhao J, Jia D, Song H, and Li T. Over-expression of LPTS-L in hepatocellular

carcinoma cell line SMMC-7721 induces crisis. World J Gastroenterol. 2002 8:1050-2.

Book Chapters

Jia D, Roy R, and Moses MA. Matrix Metalloproteinases as potential therapeutic targets in human

cancer. In Press.

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Moses MA. and Jia D. Neovascularization. Encyclopedia of Systems Biology. August, 2013.

Moses MA. and Jia D. Regulation of Tumor Angiogenesis. Encyclopedia of Systems Biology. August,

2013.

Moses MA. and Jia D. Therapeutic Targeting of the Vasculature. Encyclopedia of Systems Biology.

August, 2013.

Di Jia, Ph.D.

Relavant Presentations at Conferences

Oral Presentations

Jia D. Transcriptional repression of VEGF by ZNF24: mechanistic studies and vascular consequences

in vivo. November 2012, Boston Angiogenesis Meeting, Boston, MA.

Poster Presentations

Jia D, Huang L, Bischoff J, and Moses MA. Modulating the angiogenic potential of human microvascular

endothelial cells by an endogenous transcription factor, ZNF24. April 2014, American Association

for Cancer Research (AACR) 105th Annual Meeting, San Diego, CA

Stein EJ, Jia D, and Moses MA. BATF3 is a novel regulator of breast cancer cell invasion. April 2013,

American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) 104th Annual Meeting, Washington, DC

Jia D and Moses MA. ZNF24 may modulate microvascular endothelial cell invasion through regulating

MMP2 transcription. April 2013, AACR 104th Annual Meeting, Washington, DC

Jia D and Moses MA. ZNF24 may regulate normal mammary epithelial cell proliferation through

transcriptional repression of CDKN1A. March 2012, DF/HCC Breast and Gynecologic Cancer

Symposium, Boston, MA

Jia D, Hasso SM., Chan J, D’Amore PA, Zurakowski D, Rodig SJ, and Moses MA. Transcriptional

repression of VEGF by ZNF24: Mechanistic studies and vascular consequences in vivo. April 2011,

AACR 102nd Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL

Jia D and Konieczny SF. The basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor Mist1 modulates pancreatic

acinar cell proliferation through induction of p21 CIP1/WAF1. April 2007, The 46th Annual Midwest

Developmental Biology Meeting, The University of Chicago, IL; August 2006, Transcriptional

Regulation During Cell Growth, Differentiation, & Development; FASEB Summer Research

Conference, Saxtons River, VT

Presentations at Fundraising Events

Demonstrated the latest discoveries in biomarker research for cancer detection at fundraising events

organized by Boston Children’s Hospital Trust

Boston Investment Conference, Boston, MA

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November 2012

Circle of Care Fall Reception, Boston, MA

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October 2012

Shoe & Tell Stuart Weitzman Event, New York, NY

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April 2012

Honors & Awards

Research Grant, Purdue Research Foundation, Purdue University 2005-2007

Undergraduate Student Research Grant, Tang Zhongying Fund, Shanghai Jiaotong University, China

2001

Merit Student Award, Shanghai Jiaotong University, China 1997-2001

Mentoring & Supervisory Experience

Research Supervisor of Undergraduate Honors Thesis for Harvard Undergraduate Student, Harvard

Medical School 2011- 2013

Research Supervisor for MIT Undergraduate Student, Harvard Medical School 2009-2010

Research Supervisor for 4 rotating graduate students, Purdue University 2004-2007

Teaching Assistant - Laboratory in Animal Cell Culture, Purdue University 2005

Teaching Assistant - Bioenergetics, Purdue University 2003

Professional Affiliations

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American Association for Cancer Research 2010-present

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