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Project Manager

Location:
Boston, MA
Posted:
September 01, 2014

Contact this candidate

Resume:

SOHEIL

AGHAMOHAMMADZADEH,

PhD

Phone:

***

***

5875;

Email:

******.*****@*****.***

*** ******

Street

A pt#2,

Boston,

MA,

02115,

USA

SUMMARY

STATEMENT

• Independent

and

proactive

cell-

biologist

with

3

years

of

postdoctoral

research

experience

in

neurodegenerative

diseases.

Extensive

experience

in

drug

discovery

research

at

Pfizer.

Expert

in

Rare

Diseases

with

a

focus

on

lysosomal

storage

disorders.

Established

proof

of

concept

studies

using

in

vitro

and

in

vivo

models

of

diseases.

Led

the

imaging

core

at

the

University

of

Sheffield

(UK).

Top-

tier

publications

including

first

author

publication

in

Nature

Cell

Biology.

WORK

EXPERIENCE

Postdoctoral

fellow,

Ehlers

lab

Jan

2012-

Present

Pfizer

Neuroscience,

Cambridge,

MA

• Conceived

and

lead

a

novel

collaborative

project

investigating

the

functionality

of

the

degradation

pathway

in

Frontotemporal

dementia

(FTD)

and

Parkinson’s

disease.

• Developed

in

vitro

assays

to

identify

a

novel

target

for

enhancing

lysosomal

degradation

as

a

therapeutic

strategy

for

treating

aggregate

bearing

neurodegenerative

disorders.

• Characterized

the

molecular

mechanism

of

the

prion-

like

spread

of

protein

aggregates

in

tauopathies

including

Alzheimer’s

disease

(AD).

• Established

in

vitro

assays

to

support

validation

studies

for

Pfizer

lead

compounds

and

antibodies

for

CNS

diseases

using

primary

neurons

and

mammalian

cell

lines.

• Developed

biochemical

and

imaging

assays

to

analyse

post-

mortem

human

samples

to

corroborate

non-

human

study

data

in

collaboration

with

Harvard

medical

school.

• Conducted

in

vivo

and

ex

vivo

gene

therapy

studies

in

a

mouse

model

of

dementia.

• Supervised

research

associates

in

conducting

cellular

assays

for

target

validation

studies.

• Active

member

of

the

Pfizer

“compound

transfer

program”

and

the

neurodegenerative

disease

portfolio

project.

Head

of

imaging

core

Sept

2009-

May

2011

University

of

Sheffield,

Sheffield,

UK

• Actively

contributed

to

multiple

ongoing

research

areas

and

publications.

• Redefined

the

existing

role

of

the

core

with

the

help

of

the

management

team

to

become

more

integral

and

accessible

to

additional

departments.

• Trained

users

on

a

range

of

imaging

systems

and

advised

on

experimental

design.

• Strategic

planning

and

execution

of

the

expansion

of

the

core

in

accordance

to

departmental

goals

and

budgets.

• Co-

hosted

the

2009

EMBO

practical

course

at

the

imaging

core

that

focused

on

the

effective

use

of

different

imaging

systems

for

different

model

organisms.

• Pioneered

an

outreach

program

to

introduce

concepts

of

imaging

to

young

students.

1

SOHEIL

AGHAMOHAMMADZADEH,

PhD

EDUCATION

University

of

Sheffield,

Sheffield,

UK

• PhD

in

Cell

Biology

and

Genetics,

Ayscough

lab

2006-

2011

Ø Spearheaded

multiple

projects

investigating

the

assembly

and

disassembly

of

protein

complexes

during

endocytosis

in

S.

Cerevisiae.

Ø Published

multiple

papers

including

a

first

author

paper

in

Nature

Cell

Biology

(featured

in

F1000).

Ø Trained

PhD

students

and

postdoctoral

fellows

in

endocytosis

assays,

live-

cell

and

quantitative

imaging

techniques

and

image

analysis.

• Master

of

Biomedical

Science

2002-

2006

Master’s

degree

project

focused

on

investigating

the

role

of

the

neuronal

adhesion

molecule

TAG-

1,

and

how

it

is

implicated

in

the

growth

and

collapse

of

sensory

neurons

in

response

to

diffusible

guidance

signals

(Furley

lab).

TECHNICAL

SKILLS

In

vivo:

Adult

mouse:

animal

care

and

handling,

viral

stereotactic

injection,

intraperitoneal

injection,

anaesthesia,

euthanasia,

perfusion,

brain

isolation

and

cryo-

preservation,

hippocampus

isolation

and

harvest.

Tissue

culture:

Maintenance

of

cell

lines

and

mouse

primary

neuronal

cultures

including

hippocampal,

cortical

and

dorsal

root

ganglion

neurons.

Adult

mouse

organotypic

brain

slice

cultures:

long

and

short

term.

Embryonic

mouse:

dorsal

root

ganglion

microdissection.

Protein

expression

via

transient

transfection,

electroporation

and

viral

transduction.

Cell-

based

assays:

Endocytic

assays,

TUNEL

assay,

lysosome

activity

and

pH

assays,

radioactive

protein

degradation

assays.

Post-

mortem

human

samples:

Frozen

brain,

paraffin

embedded

sections

and

CSF

handling

and

analysis.

Histochemistry:

Immunohistochemistry

of

fixed

and

frozen

brain

sections:

mouse

and

human.

Thioflavin-

S,

Thioflavin-

T

and

Methoxy

X-

34

aggregation

stains.

Microscopy:

multi-

slide

Axio

scanner/

virtual

imaging,

confocal

microscopy,

spinning

disc,

live-

cell

imaging,

TIRF,

FRET,

FRAP,

Structured

Illumination

Microscopy

(SIM),

3D

reconstruction,

Array

scanner:

96

well

format

and

Delta-

vision

deconvolution

microscopy.

Biochemistry:

Protein

extraction,

alphaLISA

Tau,

BCA

assays,

Western

blotting,

protein

aggregation/

fibrillization,

sub-

cellular

fractionation.

Molecular

biology:

Cloning,

mutagenesis,

plasmid

DNA

purification,

DNA

electrophoresis,

colony

PCR,

Real-

Time

PCR/

genotyping,

lentiviral

particle

production,

concentration

and

packaging,

si/shRNA

gene

silencing.

Yeast

Genetics/

techniques:

Crossing,

spheroplasting,

protein

extraction,

growth-

rate

analysis,

viability

assays

and

endocytosis

assays.

Instrumentation:

Flow

cytometer,

cryostat,

vibratome,

microtome,

plate

reader.

2

SOHEIL

AGHAMOHAMMADZADEH,

PhD

In

Silico:

Microsoft

Word,

Excel

and

Powerpoint,

Imaris,

Zen,

Metamorph,

Velocity,

Image

J,

Photoshop,

Flow

Jo,

Graphpad

Prism,

Vector

NTI,

Fireworks.

POSTERS

AND

PRESENTATIONS

“Trans-

cellular

spread

and

clearance

of

aggregates

in

a

model

of

Tauopathy”

Aghamohammadzadeh

S,

Helton

D

T,

Ehlers

D

M.

Pfizer

departmental

Seminar;

Cambridge,

MA

Oral

presentation,

2013

“Trans-

cellular

spread

and

clearance

of

aggregates

in

a

model

of

tauopathy”

Aghamohammadzadeh

S,

Helton

D

T,

Ehlers

D

M.

Pfizer

postdoctoral

poster

presentation

day:

Cambridge,

MA

Poster,

2012

“The

use

of

fluorescence

microscopy

in

studying

cellular

trafficking;

seeing

is

believing”

Aghamohammadzadeh

S.

Krebs

and

Kroto

research

institute

symposium;

Sheffield,

UK

Oral

Presentation,

2009

“Turgor

pressure

is

a

key

factor

in

the

differential

requirements

for

actin

during

yeast

and

mammalian

endocytosis”

Aghamohammadzadeh

S

and

Ayscough

R

K:

Edinburgh,

UK

(2009),

Bristol,

UK

Poster,

2009

“The

requirement

of

actin

in

endocytosis”

Aghamohammadzadeh

S

and

Ayscough

R

K:

Toronto,

CAN

and

Leeds,

UK Poster, 2008

OUTREACH

&

TEACHING

EXPERIENCE

Cambridge

science

festival

(Cambridge,

MA)

Mar

2013

Organized

and

participated

in

an

annual

event

to

engage

young

minds

in

science.

EMBO

practical

course

(University

of

Sheffield)

Aug

2010

Co-

hosted

a

two-

day,

hand-

on

course

with

a

group

of

principal

investigators

to

introduce

students

to

various

advanced

microscopy

techniques.

Course

title:

animal

models

for

development,

physiology

and

disease.

Charles

Darwin

exhibition

facilitator

(Sheffield,

UK)

Jun

2009

Public

awareness

of

how

natural

selection

impacts

our

daily

lives

at

the

200th

anniversary

of

the

birth

of

Charles

Darwin

and

150th

anniversary

of

the

publication

of

his

“origin

of

species”

work.

Science,

Technology,

Engineering

and

Mathematics

Ambassador

(Sheffield,

UK)

2008-

2011

Organized

and

participated

in

numerous

projects

at

schools

as

part

of

a

program

to

interact

with

young

minds

to

inspire

them

to

embrace

science.

Postgraduate

student

representative

(University

of

Sheffield)

2005-

2006

Liaison

between

the

staff

and

students.

Conveyed

the

views

and

concerns

of

fellow

students

to

the

committee

and

the

Students’

Union

and

helped

streamline

the

Master’s

degree

program.

LEADERSHIP

AND

MANAGEMENT

Team

captain

of

soccer

team.

Two

time

champions

(Sheffield

University)

2008-

2010

Won

the

regional

Bioscience

Young

Entrepreneurs

Scheme

competition

and

came

3rd

at

the

national

level.

2009

3

SOHEIL

AGHAMOHAMMADZADEH,

PhD

Completed

a

course

on

“Developing

the

postgraduate

manager”

designed

by

the

UK

GRAD

program®.

2008

PUBLICATIONS

1.

Aghamohammadzadeh

S,

Thomas

Helton,

Michael

D

Ehlers.

Lysosome

dysfunction

downstream

of

TFEB

is

compromised

in

Alzheimer’s

disease.

Manuscript

in

preparation.

2.

Aghamohammadzadeh

S,

Iwona

I.

Smaczynska-

de

Rooij,

Kathryn

R.

Ayscough.

An

Abp1-

dependent

route

of

endocytosis

functions

when

the

classical

endocytic

pathway

in

yeast

is

inhibited

(2014).

PLoS

One;

9(7):e103311.

doi:10.1371.

3.

Smaczynska-

de

Rooij

II,

E.G.

Allwood,

R.

Mishra,

W.I.

Booth,

Aghamohammadzadeh

S,

M.W.

Goldberg,

K.R.

Ayscough.

Yeast

dynamin

Vps1

and

amphiphysin

Rvs167

function

together

during

endocytosis

(2012).

Traffic;

13(2):

317-

328.

4.

Pearson,

C.A,

Ohyama

K,

Manning

L.,

Aghamohammadzadeh

S,

Sang

H

and

Placzek

M.

FGF-

dependent

midline-

derived

progenitor

cells

in

hypothalamic

infundibular

development

(2011).

Development.

138:

2613-

2624.

5.

Smaczynska-

de

Rooij

II,

Allwood

EG,

Aghamohammadzadeh

S,

Hettema

E,

Goldberg

MW,

Ayscough

KR.

A

role

for

the

dynamin-

like

protein

Vps1

during

endocytosis

in

yeast

(2010).

Journal

of

Cell

Science.

123:

3496-

3506.

6.

Aghamohammadzadeh

S,

Ayscough

KR.

The

yeast

actin

cytoskeleton

and

its

function

in

endocytosis

(2010).

Fungal

Biology

Reviews.

24:

37-

46.

7.

Aghamohammadzadeh

S,

Ayscough

KR.

Differential

requirements

for

actin

during

yeast

and

mammalian

endocytosis

(2009).

Nature

Cell

Biology.

8:1039-

42.

8.

Gheorghe

DM,

Aghamohammadzadeh

S,

Smaczynska-

de

Rooij

II,

Allwood

EG,

Winder

SJ,

Ayscough

KR.

Interactions

between

the

yeast

SM22

homologue

Scp1

and

actin

demonstrate

the

importance

of

actin

bundling

in

endocytosis

(2008).

Journal

Biological

Chemisty.

283(22):15037-

46.

9.

Law

CO,

Kirby

RJ,

Aghamohammadzadeh

S,

Furley

AJ.

The

neural

adhesion

molecule

TAG-

1

modulates

responses

of

sensory

axons

to

diffusible

guidance

signals

(2008).

Development

135(14):2361-

71.

4



Contact this candidate