Medical Research

Sofia Zaichick

Chicago, Illinois ***** • 312-***-**** c

********@*****.*** • www.linkedin.com/in/sofia-zaichick-38bb241a

Research & Development (R&D) Scientist

Oncology Virology Inflammation Metabolism Neurobiology

Seasoned, innovative, and result-driven research scientist with 16+ years’ experience well-prepared to leverage medical expertise and scientific R&D acumen to lead biotechnology / biomedical product development through high-caliber translational research. Proven record of scientific innovation and novel discovery; adept at spearheading research project and pilot program design, development, and interpretation. Outstanding laboratory management and staff oversight abilities and exceptional collaborative skills, seamlessly liaising among internal and external stakeholders.

Core Competencies:

Research Project & Protocol Design

GCP & GLP Standards

Data Collection, Analysis & Validation

Grant / Commercial Funding

International Conference Presentations

Project & Lab Budget Administration

Cross-Organizational Collaboration

Project Planning & Development

Peer-Reviewed Journal Publications

Staff Training, Mentoring & Leadership

Professional Experience

University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), Chicago, Illinois

Senior Research Specialist, 1/2016 to Present

Research allelic variations related to cancer and metabolism within College of Medicine, Department of Pathology, lab of Dr. Alan Diamond. Design research projects, experimental protocols, techniques, data collection mechanisms, and results analysis methodologies. Design retrovirus viral vectors; perform transfection and clonal isolation, DNA isolation, cloning, PCR, random mutagenesis, CRISPR/CAS9, genotyping and Seahorse Electron Flux assay. Lead fusion protein construction and fluorophore labeling. Used fluorescent microscopy to analyze protein localization/distribution in cells and tissue. Perform Western blot, protein immunoprecipitation / co-immunoprecipitation, and protein modification / enzymatic reaction assays. Participate in mid-scale (up to 150 samples) human tissue sample (prostate and breast cancer) analysis (genotyping and western blot analysis). Supervise junior research staff and perform laboratory oversight.

Created novel immunoprecipitation and co-immunoprecipitation protocol.

Managed pilot study for start-up company (Cyprus), developing cell-based chemical compound testing methods.

Designed and developed protocol for CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing.

University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), Chicago, Illinois

Research Scientist, 6/2014 to 12/2015

Serving within College of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, lab of Dr. Marcello Bonini, investigated metabolism, inflammation, macrophage regulation, cancer, and aging. Designed research protocols and experimental procedures. Performed RNA isolation, qPCR / RT-PCR, shRNA / siRNA silencing, Western blot, protein immunoprecipitation / co-immunoprecipitation, ELISA and other enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, and flow cytometry. LPS, LDH and insulin macrophage stimulation. Used fluorescent microscopy to analyze protein localization/distribution in cells and tissue. Prepared findings for internal presentation, scientific meetings, and submission to peer-reviewed journals. Developed grant proposals. Administered lab budget and managed purchasing processes. Provided leadership, coaching, and mentoring to junior staff and graduate student researchers.

Spearheaded implementation of a new Click-chemistry labeling protocol within lab.

Played instrumental role in completion of major research project and submission of research findings to high profile, peer-reviewed journal – Journal of Experimental Medicine.

Delivered training to graduate researchers in advanced statistical analysis methodologies.

Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois

Postdoctoral Research Associate, 1/2007 to 6/2014

Performed in-depth research into alphaherpesvirus (live viruses) within the Department of Microbiology-Immunology (Feinberg School of Medicine), laboratory of Dr. Gregory Smith; led design, development, and execution of experiments with live viruses. Maintained and manipulated cell cultures, ensuring stable lines, isolating and maintaining primary neuronal cells and manipulating stem cells. Performed transfection and designed multiple viral vectors, including adenovirus and lentivirus. Performed DNA / RNA isolation, cloning into plasmid and BAC, PCR / qPCR / RT-PCR, mutagenesis, and shRNA / siRNA silencing. Extensively used fluorescent microscopy techniques to solve various research questions.

Pioneered the first large protein co-immunoprecipitation protocol in the herpesvirus field and published novel virus transport mechanism discoveries in high profile, peer-reviewed journal – Cell Host and Microbe.

Received award for Best Postdoctoral Poster in ’10.

Secured travel fellowships from Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center (Northwestern University) and International Herpesvirus Workshop (IHW).

University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), Chicago, Illinois

Teaching Assistant, 08/2000 to 06/2005

Assisted with courses, including lecture and lab sessions, for Population & Communities, Cell Biology, Microbiology, Genetics, and Molecular Biology.

** ** ** ** **

Additional experience as Senior Research Technician within the Laboratory of Cell Engineering at Engelhard Institute of Molecular Biology (Moscow, Russia), researching murine retroviruses and gene therapies;

as Visiting Researcher within Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), National Health & Environmental Research Laboratory and National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), Laboratory of Molecular Epidemiology and Risk Analysis (Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA) through fellowship with Harvard School of Public Health;

and as Research Assistant within Russian State Medical University (now Russian National Research Medical University), Department of Immunology and Institute of Eye Diseases, Department of Eye Reconstruction Surgery (Moscow, Russia).

Research Proficiencies

Cell Cultures & Viruses:

Live Viruses: Alphaherpesviruses (HSV-1, HSV-2 and PRV) and Retroviruses (MuLV).

Viral vectors: adenovirus, retrovirus, and lentivirus: design and titering.

Mammalian cell lines: Adherent and non-adherent, primary and stem cells. Differentiation of neuronal cell lines. Primary neuronal cell lines, primary keratinocytes, and mouse bone marrow-derived macrophages. Familiar with human iPS (neuronal progenitors) and polarized epithelial cultures. Multiple transfection methods. Establishing stable cell lines, clonal selection. Cell proliferation, survival and viability assays.CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing.

Yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae): maintenance techniques, crosses, two-hybrid screens.

Cloning & DNA Manipulation:

Primer and cloning design. Working with BACs (using Red-GAM and En Passant protocols: mutation, deletion, tagging, and gene pullout). Site-direct and random mutagenesis techniques. Genomic DNA isolation and genotyping.

Fluorescent Microscopy:

Wide-field and confocal microscopy. Super-resolution microscopy (STORM). Microscopic analysis of transiently expressed proteins and viral particles in live and fixed cells/neurons; co-localization analysis; 3-D and 4-D image reconstruction; single fluorescent particle tracking and movement analysis; kymograph analysis. PRAP and FRET analysis; split- GFP and photo- activated GFP tagging. Fluorescent immunohistichemistry, H&E stain.

Proteins:

Immunoprecipitation and purification of proteins from E.coli, yeast, mammalian cells, rodent and human tissue; Protein expression via transient transfection and stable expression, gel electrophoretic methods and various immunoblotting techniques, affinity-column purification, Protein A, and Size Exclusion purification; in vitro protein synthesis; S35 labeling, Click-chemistry labeling. Enzyme assays. Baculovirus expression system.

Cytofluorometry:

Fluorescent-based sorting, analysis of individual immune status, apoptotic index. T-cell receptor mutations.

Other:

ELISA, LUMINEX, ELISA-based EMSA. Seahorse Electron Flux assay. RNA isolation and quantitative real-time PCR (RT-PCR, qPCR: TaqMan and SYBR Green). Knockdown with shRNA vectors and siRNA. Electron microscopy: imaging and data analysis. Gene copy analysis: Southern-blot.

Software:

ImageJ/FIJI, MetaMorph, NIS-Elements, Zeiss LSM and AxioVision, Adobe Photoshop & Illustrator, Prizm, EndNote, Microsoft Office Suite

Educational Background

Ph.D. in Cellular & Molecular Biology, 2006

University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois

Dissertation: “Regulation of a microtubule-associated motor protein and microtubule dynamics in yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae).”

Recipient, Travel Fellowships from Graduate School Council & Women in Science & Engineering (WISE)

Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) and Master of Science in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology (dual), 2000

Russian National Research Medical University, Moscow, Russia

Thesis: “Novel characteristics of a new MuLV virus, a retrovirus M813, isolated from Mus cervicolor.”

Fellowship, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA – Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)

Fellowship, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada – Human Phantom Modeling (kidneys) to Measure Pre-Threshold Concentrations of Cadmium, Laboratory of Medical Physics

Language Skills: Fluent in English & Russian (native)

Professional Associations: American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB), 2005 to Present Faculty of 1000 Biology – Associate Member, 2009 to Present National Postdoctoral Association (NPA) – Full Member, 2009 to 2015 American Society for Virology – Associate Member, 2011 to 2014

Selected Publications

1.Zaichick S.V*., Baig M.S*., Mao M*., de Abreu A.L., Bakhshi F.R., Hart P.C., Saqib U., Deng J., Chatterjee S., Block M.L., Vogel S.M., Malik A.B., Consolaro M.E.L., Christman J.W., Minshall R.D., Gantner B.N. and Bonini M.G. NOS1-derived nitric oxide promotes NF-κB transcriptional activity through inhibition of Suppressor of Cytokine Signaling (SOCS-1), J Exp Med. 2015 Aug 31. pii: jem.20140654, [* - equal contributing authors].

2. Zaichick S.V., Bohannon K.P., Hughes A., Sollars P.J., Pickard G.E., Smith G.A. The herpesvirus VP1/2 protein is an effector of dynein-mediated transport and neuroinvasion. Cell Host & Microbe 2013, 13:1-11; doi.org/10.1016/j.chom.2013.01.009

3. Antinone S.E., Zaichick S.V., Smith G.A. Resolving the assembly state of herpes simplex virus during axon transport by live-cell imaging. JVI, 2010, 84(3): 1504-1512; doi:10.1128/JVI.01296-10

4.Zaichick S.V., Metodiev M.V., Nelson S.A., Dubrovskyi O., Draper E., Cooper J.A., Stone D.E. The Mating-specific Gα Interacts with a Kinesin-14 and Regulates Pheromone-induced Nuclear Migration in Budding Yeast. MBoC. 2009, 20(12):2820-30

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