Associate Director Molecular Biology

SKILLS

Molecular Biologist, Biochemist · Scientific and Medical Writer · Strong editing/proofreading skills Protein Chemistry · Analytical Laboratory Techniques including UV/Visible Spectroscopy · Cellular and Molecular Biology · Cloning · Recombinant Proteins · Published first author in top-tier biomedical journals Presenter at conferences, seminars, poster sessions Proficient in Teams, Zoom, Webex, and Microsoft Office Suite · Computational Chemist · Computer Aided Design · Scientific instruction, writing and consulting Bioinformatician, Cell Biologist · High-Resolution Binding Assays · High Throughput Screening ·Tissue and Cell Culture · PCR, Western Blotting · ELISA · Drug Discovery Using In Silico Molecular Simulations Bioinformatics including Homology Modeling

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, Somerville, NJ – June 2019 – June 2024

Case Manager, Auditor

Processed and managed housing applications from low-income tenants; assisted in case work as

needed including inbound and outbound calls to and from landlords and tenants and processing

case files

New Jersey Educational Services Commission, Somerville, NJ – July 2018 – June 2019

Instructor in Adult Education in Science and Mathematics

Instructed individuals and small groups of adult students in Science and Mathematics for GED preparation

Axa Solutions, Incorporated, New York, NY (Remote) – June 2003 – June 2020

Research Analyst / Scientist

Consulted and reported on Educational Software Used in K-12 Science and Mathematics Education

Georgia State University – August 2001 – May 2003

Atlanta, Georgia

Research Associate

●Developed and designed novel antibiotics using DNA-Drug Simulations: molecular modeling of complexes of planar aromatic antibiotics with major and minor grooves of DNA oligonucleotides using energy minimization and molecular dynamics

●Ran 10 nanosecond molecular dynamics simulations with detailed analysis of RMS variation from starting atom positions, bond length, angle and torsion variations to show stability of bound complex

The University of Georgia – June 1999 – July 2001

Athens, Georgia

Research Associate

Using computer-aided DNA-Protein simulation, performed molecular dynamics calculations on transcription factors bound to oligonucleotides, as well as glycoproteins involved in autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis; gained detailed insight into conformational variability from crystal structure

Emory University – June 1998 – May 1999 and Oct 1992 – Mar 1995

Atlanta, Georgia

Research Associate

Performed ab initio calculations of enzyme active site conformations including electronic charge distribution using quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM). In another project, used molecular dynamics on DNA oligonucleotides containing dihydrouridine-cytidine pairs, discovered new possible DNA backbone conformations caused by distortion of thymine to dihydrouracil and the resulting carcinogenic and mutagenic effects

Pacific Northwest National Laboratories – April 1995 – May 1998

Richland, Washington

Postdoctoral Fellow

●DNA Repair Studies: Molecular modeling of DNA oligonucleotides containing chemically modified bases; interfaced with bioinformaticians and performed bioinformatics computations to analyze genomics data for the purpose of understanding pathways of resistance and differentiation to anticancer drugs

●Performed sophisticated energy minimization and molecular dynamics simulations of up to 10 nanoseconds to show energetics of structural modification of backbone and bases

Stanford University – June 1991 – Sept 1992 Stanford, California

Postdoctoral Fellow

Investigated the effects on liver enzyme CYPIA1 gene transcription caused by carcinogens such as dioxin; techniques included in vitro transcription assays, preparation of nuclear extracts from mouse hepatoma cells, chromatography and gel electrophoresis; evaluated mechanisms of drug resistance

University of California – Dec 1989 – May 1991 San Diego, California

Postdoctoral Fellow

Developed novel cyclic opioid analogs with minimal addiction risk by determining the optimal configuration for binding of opioid analogs to mu and kappa receptors in the rat brain based on NMR structures by means of energy minimization and molecular dynamics of cyclic opioid peptides in conjunction with in vitro opioid assays

EDUCATION & TEACHING EXPERIENCE

Ph.D. Degree / Master’s Degree - Princeton University · Princeton, New Jersey

Molecular Biology

Doctoral Thesis Research · Princeton University · Princeton, New Jersey

Triplex formation of double stranded DNA with RNA oligomers, characterized binding affinity

and base sequence requirements; used DNAse and diethyl pyrocarbonate footprinting, gel retardation and transcription assays to determine structural / functional effects of third strand binding

Assistant in Instruction – Princeton University

Instructed and managed groups of 10 to 12 undergraduate students in core biochemistry

laboratory and lecture courses, including office hours and grading of lab reports and problem

sets

Bachelor of Arts Degree - Columbia University · New York, New York, Chemistry

High School Diploma – Valedictorian - The Dalton School · New York, New York

CHRISTIAN SERVICE

Singing in Choir, playing Organ, Cello, Piano, Handbells at churches in Central New Jersey, Eastern Pennsylvania, Georgia, New York City – 1993 to present

Sang in Carnegie Hall with St. Cecilia Chorus of New York City – 2005 – 2014

Volunteer in soup kitchen, Church of the Heavenly Rest, New York City

PUBLICATIONS

Cooney, Michael G. & Miller, J.H. (1997). Calculated Distortions of Duplex DNA by a Cis, Syn Cyclobutane Thymine Dimer Are Unaffected by a 3 TpA Step. Nucleic Acids Research (25) 7, pp.1432-1436. PMID: 9060440 (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9060440)

Miaskiewicz, K., Miller, J., Cooney, Michael & Osman, R. (1996). Computational Simulations of DNA Distortions by a cis,syn-Cyclobutane Thymine Dimer Lesion. Journal of the American Chemical Society.118 (38),

pp 9156–9163. doi: 10.1021/ja9611304

Cooney, Michael G. & Doetsch, P.W. (1994). Molecular modeling Studies of a Deoxyoctanucleotide Containing a Dihydrouridine Lesion. Volume 726, DNA Damage: Effects on DNA Structure and Protein Recognition. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, July 1994, pp. 299–302. doi: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1994.tb52832.x

Polinsky, A., Cooney, Michael G., Toy-Palmer, A., Osapay, G., & Goodman, M. (1992). Kahneman, D.

Synthesis and conformational properties of the lanthionine-bridged opioid peptide [D-AlaL2,AlaL5] enkephalin as determined by NMR and computer simulations. Journal of Medicinal Chemistry 35 (22), 4185-4194. doi: 10.1021/jm00100a026

Michael Cooney, G. Czernuszewicz, E.H. Postel, S. J. Flint and M.E. Hogan.(1988) Site-specific oligonucleotide binding represses transcription of the human c-myc gene in vitro. Science 22 July 1988: Vol. 241 no. 4864, pp. 456-459. doi: 10.1126/science.3293213

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