Research Engineer, Tissue Engineering, Cell Culture, Regenerative Medi

SUMMARY

Bioengineer and trained Physician (India) with research expertise in microvascular tissue engineering & pre-clinical animal models of musculoskeletal regeneration, biotech entrepreneurial program training, and a history of successful leadership, teamwork, and collaborations, including with surgeons, and in securing research grants (> $4M USD).

EXPERTISE

Device Design, Development, & Translation

• 1 approved patent (USPTO # 9,506,035), commercially licensed tech., 3 IP disclosures

• Designed a cellular immunoisolation device and demonstrated its function in vivo

• Developed & evaluated a membrane for in vivo control of growth factor delivery

• Designed 2 mechanical test systems for controlled loading of hydrogel cultures

Leadership, Communication & Teamwork

• Member of Editorial Advisory Board- CRBME & Guest Editor, Co-chaired conf. sessions

• Research and Technical lead on multiple projects, task planning, and execution

• Lead roles in 2-year multi-disciplinary team-based entrepreneurial training (TI:GER) involving strategic planning, market research, customer discovery and revenue considerations for my heparin-mesh technology & research for a local startup (Gozio Inc)

Tissue Engineering, and Pre-clinical Animal Models for Regeneration

• Developed & adapted surgical models of bone & muscle injury to evaluate regenerative therapies using cells, scaffolds, vascularization, and growth factors

• Improved vascularized scaffold design by controlling blood vessel network architecture via modulation of mechanical & cell niches, subcutaneous angiogenesis implant model

SKILLS

Technical

• Cell and tissue culture

• RNA isolation, qPCR and analysis

• Protein and Antibody labeling

• Histology: Paraffin & Cryosections

• IHC (immunohistochemistry)

• Biomechanics: Torsional and tensional tests, test system design

• Confocal Microscopy, 3D analysis

• Electrospinning, signal processing

• X-ray, µCT, Laser Doppler (LDPI)

• Angiography, fluoroscopy (IVIS)

• Gel Electrophoresis, basic ELISA data analysis, turbidity assays

Softwares

• Automated image and data analysis: Matlab, Aimra (3D), MetaMorph, ImageJ

• Statistics: SPSS, SigmaPlot, GraphPad,

• Data acquisition: Labview

• Microsoft Office, Word, PowerPoint, Excel

Animal Procedures

• Rat & mouse critical size bone defects and subcutaneous implants, biomaterial implants

• Rat volumetric muscle defects

• Artery and bile duct canulation, dye perfusion

• Nerve isolation and muscle stimulation

• Cell & Tissue harvest: adipose derived stem cells and microvessels, pancreatic islets

WORK EXPERIENCE

RESEARCH

Research Engineer

Inst. for Bioengineering & Bioscience, Georgia Tech., Atlanta, GA 2014 –

• Co-Investigator on $3M NIH-R01, PI on $1.2M R01 application, in revision

• Recapitulated clinical bone non-union in a rat model; used human amnion and heparin microparticles based strategies for control of BMP-2 delivery in bone regeneration

• Showed that higher inflammation could correlate to impaired bone healing

Postdoctoral Fellow, Guldberg Lab

Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA) 2012 – 2014

• Technical Lead & Co-author on $1M DoD grant, ~$40K TI:GER & CHOA research grant

• Demonstrated better bone healing in younger rats despite high inflammation (mRNA)

• Showed that vascular and progenitor cell therapy alone cannot regenerate muscle

Postdoctoral Fellow, Hoying and Williams Labs

Cardiovascular Innovation Institute, KY 2008 – 2012

• Established that engineered oriented vessel networks need an appropriate mechanical environment in vivo, to maintain imparted patterns

• Engineered dual porosity membrane for immunoisolation of implanted cells and islets

Graduate Research Assistant, Weiss Lab

University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 2001 – 2008

• Elucidated the relation between angiogenesis and scaffold (ECM) mechanical properties, developed image based quantification of microvessel orientation & network morphology

Research Assistant (Industry)

Part time volunteer at Concept Integrations, Kothrud, India 1998 – 2000

• Assisted programmers in improving analysis algorithms for EKG anomalies

Graduate Teaching Assistant, BIOEN 5201: Introduction to Biomechanics

University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT Fall 2003

CLINICAL

ICU Medical Officer

Physician in Neurology Intensive Care Unit, Jehangir Hospitals, Pune, India 1999 – 2000

Clinical Internship

Vadgaon Rural & Khadki Cantonment Hospitals, India 1998 – 1999

EDUCATION

TI:GER Entrepreneurship Certificate 2013 – 2015

Emory Law School & Georgia Tech. Business School

Project: Development and commercialization of a safer rhBMP-2 delivery device for children.

Term Project: Exploration and critical analysis of revenue models for a local mid-stage startup

Bioengineering, Ph.D. 2001 – 2008

University of Utah

Dissertation: Interactions of matrix mechanical properties with microvascular angiogenesis.

M.B.B.S. Bachelors in Med. & Surgery 1993 – 1998

N.D.M.V.P.S’s Medical College, India

Licensed to practice medicine in India (registration with Medical Council of India) 1999

ACHIEVEMENTS

Fellowships, Awards, Publications

Faculty Excellence Honoree at Univ. of Louisville, Highly Cited Manuscript - Cardiovascular Research 2010, Petit Mentor grant, ORLAC grant, Kosair Charities seed grant, 2 departmental fellowships, 1 travel award, TiGER Program Fellowship

Publications and Talks

23 published articles, 2 in revision, 8 in various stages of preparation, 45 abstracts, and 11 talks, mentored 21 students

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